False Memories
by CharmedBec
Summary: Nobody knows who Chris is but they’re about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future.
1. The Visitor

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story at eek. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Chapter One**

Chris Perry sat on the dilapidated sofa in the attic, only half-listening as three generations of Halliwell women debated – or rather argued about - how best to deal with the demon currently targeting young female witches on the streets of San Francisco. Penny and Patty Halliwell were on a brief sojourn to the Land of the Living, but were unfortunately turning out to be rather a hindrance during the current crisis.

Piper had summoned her mother and grandmother earlier that morning, for reasons that she hadn't shared with anyone else, not even her sisters. Chris privately suspected that his recent disclosure about her eldest son being evil in the future had a lot to do with it though, and he felt guilty about causing her such distress.

He hadn't meant to let it slip about Wyatt, but he was partly relieved that it was now out in the open. Constantly having to watch what he said was mentally exhausting and the strain was starting to take its toll on the young witch-whitelighter. At least with the truth about Wyatt out, he had one less thing to conceal from his Charges, even if the biggest skeleton in his closet – his true identity – was still a closely guarded secret.

It was weird and lonely for Chris, being surrounded by his family and yet a stranger in their midst. Their suspicion of him hurt, even if he did understand the reasons behind their distrust. When, only last week, his Mom had told him that she didn't want to see him anymore, he had thought his fragile heart would shatter into a million pieces. He'd had to orb out, unable to hold back the waterfall of tears that overflowed as a result of her unwitting rejection.

Thankfully, that bump in the road had been mostly smoothed over after Leo persuaded the girls to give him another chance. They were more guarded with him now however, a happenstance that caused him a great deal of emotional pain. He needed them on side if he was to prevent Wyatt from turning evil, but he wasn't sure how to regain their trust. For now, he was just biding his time, staying in the background as much as possible, and only helping out when asked.

His eyes wandered over to Leo, who was leaning against the antique armoire on the far side of the room. The Elder stood watching the by-play between the girls and their slightly overbearing relatives with an amused smile hovering on the corner of his lips.

This past version of his father confused Chris; his behaviour just didn't tally with the cold and unfeeling man that he'd known growing up. Leo never made a secret of the fact that he mistrusted this interloper from the future, but he'd given him the benefit of the doubt on any number of occasions. Second chances were something that Chris had never received from his father before, and he didn't know what to make of Leo's unfamiliar attitude towards him.

"Chris!"

Chris jolted out of his reverie at the sound of his name, and looked enquiringly over at Paige. "Huh?"

"Can you go get the Burdock root from the kitchen please?"

"Yeah sure," he amiably agreed, getting to his feet.

He was about to orb out when the ground suddenly shook beneath him, halting him in his tracks. Seven pairs of eyes instantly swung to the panelled wall where a blue triquetra was slowly opening up. As the light from the portal grew steadily brighter, they were forced to cover their eyes. All of a sudden, the glowing triquetra vanished, leaving a familiar figure standing before them.

At first, there was a stunned silence, and then Piper sprang into action. "Okay, so which one of you is the shape-shifter?" she demanded, looking between the two identical versions of her ex-husband, her hands poised to blow one of them up.

"Neither," Chris swiftly interjected, reaching out a warning hand towards her. Although it would have been funny to see his father scattered into thousands of orb particles, his cover was in danger of being blown, so he wisely decided to forgo the pleasure.

"That's the Leo from my time," he said, putting heavy emphasis on the name. "He's from the future."

Future Leo's expression only changed slightly as he absently registered what Chris was trying to tell him. Thwarting his son's plans wasn't why he had travelled to the past, he had come on a mission and nothing was going to distract him from his goal. Therefore, with that aim in mind, he twisted the cap off the small bottle that he held in his hands, and strode over to Chris, offering the glass container to him.

"Drink," he commanded.

"Why?" the young man asked petulantly, eyeing the bottle with suspicion.

"Chris please!" Leo's voice was anguished, despite the hint of irritation that lay just below the surface.

Shocked by this uncharacteristic display of emotion from his father, Chris automatically took the potion from his outstretched hand. He looked warily at the orange liquid in the bottle, then back up at Leo, a question in his green eyes.

"Drink," the Elder repeated, nodding his head in encouragement.

Stunned into submission, Chris set the bottle to his lips, tipped back his head and drank…

Okay, that's it for now. Let me know if you like it and if you want me to continue?


	2. Who, what, where and why?

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

Thanks for all the reviews of the first part. Here is the next chapter. Hope it's not too difficult to work out which Leo is which!

**Chapter Two**

"Whoa! Easy buddy!"

Future Leo quickly reached out to catch Chris as he toppled forward, unsteadied by the potion's effects. While the others looked on in abject amazement, he helped the disorientated young man over to the sofa and sat down beside him. Rubbing his hand in soothing circles over his son's back, he calmly waited for the magical brew to run its course.

Chris eventually lifted his head, his eyes wide with horror and his handsome face drained of all colour. He swallowed hard a couple of times, then clamped his hand over his mouth and orbed out. Future Leo immediately followed in a swirl of blue lights, leaving the rest of them to stare dumbly at the spot where the two of them had just been.

"Where did they go?" Piper whirled around to demand of a stunned Leo.

The Elder closed his eyes and concentrated. "Only downstairs," he said. "To your bathroom."

Piper was out the door and heading down the attic stairs in an instant, her sisters, mother, grandmother and ex-husband close on her heels. They all skidded to a stop in her bedroom and looked in on the scene in the on-suite bathroom.

Future Leo was just handing an extremely pale Chris a glass of water. Their whitelighter was slumped on the floor next to the toilet, a thin sheen of sweat dewing his forehead as he trembled in obvious shock. His teeth chattered against the glass as he took a few sips of the cool liquid, and they watched as a concerned Leo reached out to steady his shaking hands.

"I'm sorry." Chris's voice was thin and reedy in quality.

"Don't." Leo's voice was steady and firm. "It's not your fault."

The whitelighter wasn't to be deterred though. "I'm sorry. Everything's so messed up. I'm so sorry."

With that, he dissolved into tears, his sobs hiccupping in his throat as he buried his face in his hands. Future Leo sat down beside Chris and pulled him close, wrapping his arms around his head and shoulders.

"Ssh, it's okay, you're okay," he murmured as he smoothed his hand over his son's mussed hair. "You're okay."

Her mouth dropping open in astonishment, Piper watched the future version of her ex-husband comfort their crying whitelighter with gentle care. There was something so familiar about the scene, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was. Shaking her head, she pushed those confusing thoughts aside and focused on the current situation instead.

"Ahem!" she loudly cleared her throat. "Can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"

Her sharp question garnered the immediate attention of the two men in the bathroom, who both jumped and turned to look at her. Chris's red-rimmed eyes inadvertently met Piper's, and she reeled under the wealth of raw emotion that she saw in his gaze. He was usually such a closed book but right now, he looked so vulnerable. Something had happened to knock the cocky confidence out of him, she realised.

Their gaze held for only a short moment, before Chris quickly glanced away in a vain attempt to hide his anguish from her. Piper sighed and shifted her attention to Leo, who appeared significantly more in control of his emotions, despite the unshed tears glistening in his eyes.

"Piper," he said in calm tone. "I need to talk to Chris first, okay?"

"No, no, not okay," Piper said, emphatically shaking her head. "You can't just come here and not explain why. You're not just some random whitelighter from the future, you're Wyatt's father!"

"We'll be back, I promise." With that infuriating statement, Future Leo placed his hand on Chris's shoulder and orbed them both out of the Manor.

"Ahh!" Piper shattered the vase of flowers on the chest of drawers in frustration.

"You don't grow out of that habit then," Phoebe quipped with a sly sidelong glance at their Leo.

"Where are they?" Piper practically screeched at her ex-husband.

Leo shook his head. "I don't know, I can't sense them, he's blocking me."

"I guess he-I know you too well," he added with a faint smile.

Piper glared at him, her brown eyes icy, but then her shoulders slumped in defeat. "You know Chris," she said, stating the obvious.

"Seems so," Leo agreed, as he sat down heavily on the edge of bed, trying to process what he'd just witnessed.

His future self clearly cared for Chris a great deal. But why? The young whitelighter's attitude towards him vacillated from casual indifference to outright contempt. Chris had rarely shown any warmth towards him, or made any real attempt to get to know him. Leo knew that his own antagonistic behaviour had contributed to that state of affairs, but the boy had never once acted as if they were personally acquainted. It just didn't make any sense.

"Do you think we know Chris?" Phoebe said, asking the million-dollar question.

"Well, I'm thinking, yeah," Paige replied with heavy sarcasm. "Seeing as he's so very good at manipulating us. I don't know why we didn't see it before."

Phoebe nodded. "Me neither – talk about blind, deaf and dumb. Why didn't he tell us?"

A beat, and then…

"Future Consequences," the Charmed Ones said in unison, collectively rolling their eyes.

"Chris's favourite saying," Paige explained to a confused Patty and Penny.

Patty nodded. "So, you're saying this boy is what? A friend of the family?"

"Maybe a friend of Wyatt's?" Phoebe suggested. "I mean he'd be about the right age."

"But Chris said Wyatt was evil in his future," Piper cut in. "How can they be friends?"

"Maybe whatever it was that got to Wyatt as a baby didn't properly manifest itself until he reached adolescence," Paige postulated. "If they had some sort of personal connection, it would explain Chris's determination to stop him from turning evil, wouldn't it? I mean, come on, he's totally obsessed."

"And we've been fighting him every step of the way," Piper said, her voice thick with guilt.

"Piper," Penny said sharply. "If your gut instinct was to be wary of this boy, then you were right to go with it."

"Were we, Grams?" Piper replied, her expression pained. "What if we've endangered Wyatt by doing so?"

"Well, it seems to me that the only person who has the answer to that is Chris."

"Or Leo," Phoebe put in thoughtfully.

Paige turned to look at her brother-in-law. "That was you, wasn't it?" she asked. "I mean, you didn't sense anything odd about him, did you?"

Leo shook his head. "No, that was me. I'm almost sure of it."

"Almost?"

"I can't be a hundred percent certain. Do you know how weird it is sensing yourself?"

Paige shrugged. "Whatever – a little question and answer session should confirm it one way or the other anyway."

"If we can get him to stay in one place for more than five minutes," Piper said acerbically, throwing a pointed look at her ex-husband.

"I'm sure we could come up with a 'Power of Three' spell to achieve that," Paige told her sister, her lips curling up into a wicked smile.

"WHAT?" Leo spluttered, outraged at the idea.

"Oh come on, Leo – you want to know too, don't you?"

"Yes but…" Leo trailed off. "He said he'd be back," he said defensively

"Yes, he did. We're just going to make sure he stays put when he does," Paige replied, her tone sweetly reasonable.

"It's unethical!"

"Too bad, you're outvoted," Piper said unsympathetically.

"What about the demon you're supposed to be vanquishing?"

"We'll cast a seek and find spell, Paige can orb me there, and I'll blow him up."

"That's not very elegant, Piper," Penny reproved, her forehead creasing into a disapproving frown.

The look that the eldest Charmed One directed towards her grandmother was sufficient to freeze hell over. "So?"

"Maybe now isn't the best time, mother," Patty swiftly interjected as Penny Halliwell drew herself up to her full height and prepared for battle. "She's worried about her baby – you can relate to that, can't you? It's not as if you bothered with etiquette when any of the girls were in danger."

As soon as that sunk in, Penny deflated like a popped balloon. "All right, I agree this situation demands a swift resolution. We'll go with Piper's idea."

"There are proper ways to do things though," she added, not completely giving in.

"Oh, you're good," Phoebe murmured to her mother. "Can you teach me how to do that?"

"The trick is not to try it too often," Patty whispered back. "That way it takes them by surprise."

"Okay, I'll remember that the next time Piper is in bulldozer mode."

"I heard that!" Both Piper and Penny exclaimed, wearing twin expressions of indignation.

Patty, Phoebe and Paige broke into delighted laughter, while Leo's face split into a wide grin. Piper and Penny loved each other to death, but their similar personalities often put them at loggerheads. It was a source of great amusement to those around them, especially considering they both insisted that they weren't at all alike. Eventually their combined mirth died down, and they refocused on the task at hand.

"All right," Phoebe said, clapping her hands together. "So we've got a plan – let's get to work."

Three hours later, they were all sitting around the dining room table, coffee mugs in hand, waiting for the wanderers to return. The demon was vanquished and the Power of Three spell written, now all they needed was its intended target.

"They're here," Leo said, startling everyone with his sudden announcement. "Upstairs – he dropped the sensing shield when they orbed back in."

They all reached out to take either his or Paige's hand, and then orbed as one up to the first floor landing, where they materialised in a shimmering array of twinkling blue lights just outside the door to Piper's bedroom. Noting their arrival, Future Leo covered a sleeping Chris with a blanket, and then stepped out into the hallway to join them, pulling the door shut behind him.

He immediately spied the piece of paper in Piper's hand, and Paige and Phoebe's telltale positions either side of her, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He shot a plaintive look at his past counterpart, who held up his hands in mock surrender.

"Don't look at me, it's wasn't my idea. You know how they are."

"Yes, I do," Future Leo agreed with a wry smile. "That won't be necessary," he added, snatching the spell out of Piper's hand before she could react. "I'll tell you what you want to know - within reason anyway. You know I won't be able to tell you everything, it's too dangerous, too many…"

"If you say 'Future Consequences' I swear I'll blow you up," Piper threatened ominously.

Future Leo laughed. "Chris has used that mantra one too many times, huh?" he guessed.

"Oh, you think?"

"Well essentially he's right. You can't know too much about the future. I do think he's taken it to the extreme though. He has his reasons for that, I suppose, but the absolute secrecy isn't strictly necessary. No wonder you're so suspicious of him."

"Do we have reason to be?" Piper asked, her eyes studying his face intently.

Future Leo looked her directly in the eye. "Non whatsoever," he replied, his gaze never wavering.

"Umm," Paige raised her hand diffidently. "Maybe we should do this downstairs," she suggested. "And I still think he needs to prove that he's really Leo."

"It's him," Piper said firmly. "Don't ask me how I know, I just do."

"We're connected – we always will be," Future Leo said softly, reaching out to brush the backs of his fingers over her cheek.

"Uh-oh, not good," Piper murmured as those familiar butterflies started fluttering about in her stomach. "You're not supposed to do that. Tell him he's not supposed to do that," she said, turning to her Leo.

Leo had watched the little exchange with interest - maybe not all was lost for him and Piper after all. His other self acted as if they were very much a part of each other's lives, and he had also noticed what the others had not – Future Leo still wore a wedding band on his finger. Although he couldn't see how they could find a way around the Elder dilemma, all the evidence pointed to the contrary and that lifted his spirits and filled him with new hope for the future.

"I think moving downstairs would be good," Future Leo said, interrupting his thoughts. "This could take some time."

"Just no orbing," Piper said. "We're gonna walk down the stairs. Disappearing acts are strictly forbidden, okay?"

"Yes ma'am," Future Leo teased, saluting smartly and making them all laugh.

The little group then made their way downstairs and ensconced themselves in the various chairs and sofas in the lounge area.

"Where's Wyatt?" Future Leo asked, suddenly realising that he couldn't detect his elder son's presence in the vicinity.

"At Sheila's," Piper replied. "She's one of my emergency babysitters for demon attack crises – which I guess you already know."

"It's a long time ago but yes I remember."

"So, how are we going to play this?" Phoebe enquired, tucking her feet up underneath her and hugging her knees to her chest.

Future Leo shrugged. "I guess you just ask me questions and I'll answer if I think it's safe to."

"Works for me," Piper replied, and then went for the jugular. "Was Chris telling the truth – is our baby boy really evil in the future?"

_**That's all folks! More instalments coming soon…**_


	3. Partial Explanations

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **So you're not confused, I should mention that it wasn't Gideon who turned Wyatt in my little story. It didn't really fit with the plotline that I came up with, so I've changed canon events a bit.

**_Last time_…**

Future Leo shrugged. "I guess you just ask me questions and I'll answer if I think it's safe to."

"Works for me," Piper replied, and then went for the jugular. "Was Chris telling the truth – is our baby boy really evil in the future?"

**Chapter Three**

She knew what he was going to say before he spoke the words. The look of pain that flitted across his face confirmed her worst fears, and her heart sank like a lead weight inside of her chest. She had been hoping against hope that it wasn't true, but she could no longer bury her head in the sand – her sweet little boy really was going to grow up evil.

Future Leo's answer, when it finally came, was simplicity itself. "Yes."

"But… but how?" Piper stammered, struggling to take things in.

Leo shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "I wish I knew, Piper, I really do. All we've been able to figure out is whatever got to Wyatt did so before his second birthday."

A stricken expression descended over Piper's features at the thought of losing her baby in just over a year's time, and Leo hastened to set her mind at rest – as much as he could anyway.

"We didn't lose him immediately," he told her. "The evil – it lay dormant inside of him for years. Maybe, they wanted him to learn as much from us as he could before they took him, I don't know. He was sixteen when they finally pulled the trigger."

"Oh, oh god!" Piper said, her hands rising to cover her mouth. Patty quickly rose to her feet and crossed to sit beside her daughter, slipping a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"He wasn't good one day and evil the next though; he just started to go off the rails. There was other stuff going on at the time, so I thought his acting out was because of that. By the time I realised there was more to it, it was too late."

"So if you knew he was turned as a baby, why didn't you come back to warn us yourself? Or why didn't one of us come? Why was Chris sent instead?" Phoebe barely paused for breath as the questions tumbled from her lips.

Future Leo sighed and closed his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts. "You haven't been visited by your future selves because none of you are able to travel back in time," he eventually replied.

There was a pregnant pause as that sank in. "You mean we're all dead?" Phoebe asked, her face pale and her voice strained.

"No - not all of you anyway. Two of you are still alive, but Wyatt stripped you of your powers years ago. He has you imprisoned somewhere in the underworld."

Phoebe opened her mouth to ask the obvious question but Future Leo immediately cut her off. "Don't Phoebe," he pleaded. "Just don't. I can't tell you any more than that right now."

Phoebe reluctantly nodded, capitulating to the anguish that she could hear in his voice. Taking a deep, calming breath, Future Leo forcibly shook off the sudden wave of grief, and continued with his explanation.

"As for why I didn't come - there are two reasons. Firstly, I'm an Elder so it's very dangerous for me to time-travel. I could tip the balance of destiny too far one way."

"But you're here now," Paige pointed out.

"Yes but I can't stay long – 72 hours at the most. Any longer and I could seriously mess with the delicate equilibrium of the cosmos."

"Spoken like a true Elder," Penny commented with a sarcastic roll of her eyes.

Future Leo's face split into a grin. "Sorry – I slip from time to time."

"And the second reason?" Paige asked.

"Huh?"

"You said there were two reasons."

"Oh right. The truth is we – I mean the other Elders and I - have been trying to turn Wyatt back in the present. It didn't occur to us to send someone to the past to prevent him from being turned in the first place."

"But I thought the Elders sent Chris," Phoebe said, puzzled.

"No, that's just what he told you. In actual fact, he and a small group of his friends came up with the whole idea by themselves. We had no inkling of what they were planning; it took us completely by surprise."

"I don't understand," present Leo said, frowning in confusion. "How could you not know? The Elders watch constantly over all witches and whitelighters, especially in times of upheaval."

Future Leo looked over at his past self. "Things have changed, Leo," he said and then broke off. "Okay so that was weird."

"Tell me about it," present Leo agreed with a wry grimace. "Changed how?"

"Wyatt has great power – you know that already – but he's nearly twenty-three now, you have no idea what he's capable of. The higher realms are vulnerable, he knows too many of our secrets. The Elders came to the conclusion that the only way to protect themselves was to seal off 'up there' from 'down here' completely."

"They abandoned their children!" Leo said incredulously. He couldn't believe it. "There's no link to the human world at all?"

"No, we maintained a link but Wyatt found a way to weaken it."

"Okay, so where does Chris fit into all of this?" Paige asked.

Future Leo hesitated before eventually deciding to answer the question – at least partly anyway. "He and I were the link," he explained.

"And Wyatt weakened it how?"

"He cast a spell to alter Chris's memories of me. For the past five years, Chris has believed that I wasn't there for him while he was growing up, that I had better things to do than spend time with him. It's not how it was, but to him it's reality."

"I don't understand," Piper said. "Why would Chris expect you to be there for him as a child anyway? Was he a special charge of yours?"

"Something like that, yes."

"You're not telling us everything," Piper accused, her deep brown eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I haven't managed to persuade Chris to tell you the whole truth yet. Things are difficult between us as it is. I don't want to betray his trust and make things worse."

"The potion you gave him returned his memories," present Leo guessed.

His future counterpart nodded. "I've laboured for five years trying to find a way to circumvent Wyatt's magic. When I finally cracked it, I couldn't wait; I had to come here straightaway. I got myself into a whole heap of trouble with the other Elders by doing so, of course. I don't doubt that it'll be worth it though."

"Chris is very confused right now however. He has two sets of memories and it's difficult for him to decipher what's real and what's fabrication. I think the effects of Wyatt's spell will eventually fade but it's going to take some time."

"Were Chris and Wyatt friends then?" Phoebe asked. "I mean they must be about the same age right?"

"Chris is a couple of years younger but yes, they used to be close before Wyatt..." Future Leo left the statement hanging, his blue-green eyes darkening with pain.

"That explains why Chris is so neurotic about saving him, I suppose," Phoebe said.

"Well, you're not exactly helping on that score," Future Leo retorted, his tone full of censure. "From what I can see, you're just carrying on with your lives as if everything were normal."

"That's not completely true," Phoebe half-heartedly protested.

"Isn't it? The poor boy is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders because non of you are taking this threat to Wyatt seriously enough. He looks exhausted and he's lost weight. It's about time you gave him some support - he's only twenty-one for pity's sake."

"All right _Dad,_ I think we've got the message," Paige cut in. "You can save the lecture."

With a great deal of effort, Future Leo reigned in his parental instincts before his over-protective tirade gave away the true nature of his relationship to Chris. "I'm sorry – I know some of Chris's actions have made you wary but you have to understand, he only has Wyatt's best interests at heart."

"I think we've got that now," Piper said softly.

Future Leo nodded. "Good – the future of our family depends on it."

"Can I ask a question?" present Leo said then.

"Ask away."

"Why are you still wearing your wedding ring?" Leo had finally worked up the courage to broach the delicate subject of his and Piper's relationship with his future self.

Future Leo glanced down at the gold band on the third finger of his left hand. "Why shouldn't I be?" he asked, obviously confused by the question.

"Because you and Piper are divorced," Paige told him.

Future Leo stared at her blankly for a moment, and then his mouth dropped open in shock. "I'm sorry?" he exclaimed, his voice strangled.

"Okay so I'm guessing that didn't happen in your timeline," Paige said.

"But… What? How?" Future Leo spluttered, his eyes flitting between Piper and his past self as if he was watching a tennis ball in play.

"Oh I don't know – maybe it had something to do with you agreeing to be an Elder without even consulting me," Piper said, somewhat bitterly.

"I did consult you," Future Leo said absently, and then his eyes widened. "What? Wait – you're an Elder already?" he demanded of his past self.

Present Leo nodded and Future Leo shook his head in disbelief. "I don't get it."

"When did you become an Elder then?" Phoebe asked the future version of her brother-in-law.

"Nineteen years ago."

"Which in this timeline is…?"

"In two years time."

"I guess stopping the Titans from killing Paige, and preventing them from taking over the world changed things," Phoebe concluded.

"The Titans didn't kill Paige," Future Leo said, his brow furrowing in confusion. "And you did defeat them in my timeline. Alagon released the power from the Urn and made you Goddesses."

"Who's Alagon?"

"One of the Elders who survived the Titan attack," Present Leo explained, immediately recognising the name. "Chris said Paige died," he told his future self. "He persuaded me to turn the girls into Goddesses. He said I was the only one who could do it, that the other Elder's wouldn't because it was forbidden."

"And you became an Elder in the process," Future Leo finished for him.

"Didn't Chris tell you any of this?" Patty asked her son-in-law.

"No - it seems my _charge_ forgot to mention a few things when he was bringing me up to date on recent events. Thinking about it though, it was a pretty good plan. Chris needed to get close to the girls in order to protect Wyatt, becoming their whitelighter was the obvious way to achieve that."

"So he deliberately split you and Piper up?" Paige asked, outraged.

Future Leo shook his head. "I seriously doubt that was the intention – I imagine it was just an unfortunate side-effect."

"You're sure about that are you? You said it yourself – you're hardly Chris's favourite person."

"Maybe not, but he would never deliberately do anything to hurt Piper, I am certain of that."

Piper's eyes opened wide in astonishment at Leo's emphatic statement. "Why?" she asked.

Future Leo smiled softly at her. "All Wyatt's friends adored you," he explained. "Chris especially."

Piper's face lit up. "I was a cool mom, huh?"

"The very best."

Piper blushed, warmed by the endorsement. "So we found a way to make it work?" she asked.

Future Leo nodded. "It wasn't always easy but yes."

"But how?" present Leo burst out. "Being an Elder is a fulltime commitment."

Future Leo looked over at his past self. "I kind of negotiated a deal," he explained. "The Elder's were decimated by the Titan's attack. They needed to increase their numbers and fast. I said I'd only do it if I were free to come and go as I pleased. And I insisted that six months of every year were spent with my family."

"And they agreed to that?"

"They had to – it took nearly five years to repair the damage the Titan's attack wreaked on the Higher Realms. Potential Elders are hard to come by; they could hardly afford to let one slip through their fingers."

"I suppose not," Present Leo concurred, his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "Five years, you said?"

"Gives you something to think about, huh?" Future Leo said with a grin.

Present Leo nodded, his eyes bright with renewed hope, but then his shoulders suddenly slumped. "What if it's too late?"

"It's not is it?" Future Leo asked, turning to look at Piper, his steady gaze holding hers captive

Piper was flummoxed and a little freaked out. All this was happening way too fast. She'd only just gotten used to being single again, and now there was a possibility that her marriage wasn't as over as she thought. A few seconds later, her brain finally caught up with her racing heart, however. And when it did, she couldn't deny the truth.

"No," she quietly admitted, looking shyly over at the Leo from the present timeline.

"All right!" Phoebe and Paige high-fived each other, while Penny and Patty faces split into delighted smiles.

While Piper and his past self lost themselves in each other's eyes, Future Leo sat back against the sofa cushions, immensely pleased with his marriage counselling skills. Of course, it did help knowing the two people involved and their problems inside out. All in all though, he decided it was a job well done.

_**To be continued…**_

**Apologies for the lack of Chris – this is a Chris-centric story, I swear! He'll be back next time, I promise. Lots of Chris/Piper/Leo goodness on the horizon. He needed to be out the way for this chapter though.**


	4. The cold, harsh light of day

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! Quick update for me. Don't expect it too often. I don't usually write this fast but this part just flowed out of me. Hope you enjoy. Thanks for all the encouragement, muchly appreciated.

**Chapter 4**

The bright morning sunlight streamed in through the gap in the drapes, its golden radiance waking the slumbering young man curled up in a foetal position on the bed.

Awareness slowly infiltrated Chris's senses and he jolted upright, surprised to find himself in his parent's bedroom at the Halliwell Manor, rather than on the lumpy sofa in P3's back office. The previous day's events suddenly crashed in on him and he fell back against the pillows, struggling to come to terms with the conflicting thoughts and emotions whirling about inside his head.

All his life, all he ever wanted was his father's love and affection and, last night, he had been handed that on a plate. The restored memories had hit him like a lightening bolt from the heavens, and he couldn't help but succumb to their potent power.

Chris closed his eyes and groaned, remembering his humiliating breakdown – an event that had occurred in front of his whole family, much to his horror. He wasn't used to expressing his feelings quite so openly in front of them, preferring to keep things bottled up inside instead.

Yesterday though, utterly overwhelmed by the devastating effects of the potion, he'd given in to his strong desire for paternal acceptance. Now however, in the cold, harsh light of day, he was plagued by sudden doubts.

What if it was a trick? What if his earlier memories were the truth and these new ones the lie? Could he risk letting his father into his life again? What if he turned around and rejected him once more? Could he handle that? Maybe it was best to maintain some emotional distance; it would be preferable to getting hurt again.

But, on the other hand, past Leo's attitude and personality made more sense now. He closely resembled the Leo of these newer memories – the Elder who was fiercely protective of his family – _all_ his family without fail. If the Leo of Chris's restored memory was harsh in his dealings with his sons, it was usually for good reason, and he was always fair with it. This was exactly the way that past Leo treated the whitelighter – although without the added benefit of a father's love.

It could all still be a very clever illusion however…

"Arrgh!" Chris pressed his fingertips to his temples, willing his head to stop spinning. How was he supposed to make sense of this when he didn't know what was real and what wasn't?

"Hey!"

Jumping out of his skin, he whirled around at the softly spoken greeting. His Mom – no Piper, he reminded himself – stood in the doorway, a tray of food clutched in her hands.

"I thought seeing as you stole my bed, I should bring you breakfast in it," the eldest Charmed One said, crossing the room to join him.

"You didn't have to do that," Chris mumbled, somewhat confused by her sudden change in attitude towards him. Usually all he got from her was out and out suspicion, mixed in with a healthy dose of resentment for bursting her bubble about her precious baby boy. Now though, she seemed almost friendly.

"I know," Piper replied, not even attempting to explain the reason for her changed demeanour. She set the tray down next to him on the mattress. "Blueberries pancakes and maple syrup, is that okay?"

Chris's lips quirked up into a small smile and he nodded. "My favourite," he said, lifting the tray over his lap and picking up the knife and fork.

"I used to make them for you and Wyatt, huh?"

Chris looked up into her beautiful face, shocked. What the hell had Leo told her? He had promised that he wouldn't say anything. "I…," he stammered, not knowing how to respond.

Piper smiled and patted his hand. "Relax – time-traveller Leo explained that you and Wyatt were friends in the future. You should have told us before, you know."

Realising that his father had been true to his word, Chris breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to his breakfast. God, he was hungry, although… "I think there's enough to feed a small army here," he remarked, raising one eyebrow at the veritable mountain of food on his plate.

"Well, you're a growing boy," Piper replied in a motherly tone, causing a painful stab of remembrance to run through him. "And besides, you've apparently lost weight, so I've got to fatten you up, haven't I?"

Chris nodded, blinking back the tears as he bent his head over his breakfast. He began to eat, using the activity to cover up his embarrassingly emotional reaction to her mollycoddling.

Piper sat down in the armchair by the bed, and watched as her whitelighter literally inhaled the food on his plate as if he hadn't eaten a proper meal in days. With his hair all mussed from sleep and his protective walls shattered, she was struck by how young Chris looked. Her stomach burned with guilt – he'd only been trying to help Wyatt and she'd treated him so horribly. Still, hopefully now she had a chance to remedy that.

"How about we start with a clean slate?" she said, offering the proverbial olive branch to the young whitelighter.

Chris froze in the act of bringing a forkful of syrupy pancakes to his mouth. "Okay," he agreed warily.

"You could sound a little more enthusiastic about it," Piper gently reproved.

Chris looked down, uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation. How could he tell her that the thought of getting close to her scared the hell out of him? He had somehow managed to dissociate Piper from his mother in his mind, but if she continued to be nice to him, he didn't know how long he could keep that up. He needed to keep his distance for the sake of his sanity. Losing her again would kill him.

"I see you're finally awake," Leo's voice sounded from the doorway.

Relieved at the interruption, Chris turned to look at his father. Squinting slightly, he tried to work out which version of Leo he was dealing with, unfortunately coming up empty. They looked virtually identical; he knew them both but he couldn't tell them apart for love nor money.

"Future," Piper told him, sensing his dilemma. "We gave them both a badge to wear."

"Huh?"

Piper pointed out the large plastic emblem pinned to Leo's shirt. It looked like a child's birthday badge – the kind that usually said something like '5 Today' on them. This one had a bright blue 'F' stencilled on the front of it though.

Chris grinned. "Nice accessory," he quipped, trying not to laugh.

"We thought so," Piper said airily. "Only neither of them seemed that enamoured by the idea for some reason."

Chris did laugh then and Piper smiled in reaction, warmed by the unexpected sound. Despite his dry, sardonic wit, the witch-whitelighter rarely laughed. In Piper's opinion, he was far too serious for his own good, it simply wasn't healthy. She resolved to get him to lighten up a bit in the future, not fully knowing where this sudden need to take care of him came from. She just assumed that she must be feeding off Future Leo's protective attitude towards the boy. It was the only thing that made any sense.

Piper stood up. "Well, I'll leave you two to it. I'm sure you've got a lot of catching up to do."

Leo nodded to her as she left the room, and then sat down on the edge of the bed, facing his son. When Chris opened his mouth to speak though, he held up his hand in warning.

"Shut the door," he quietly instructed.

"What? Oh," Chris casually gestured with his hand and telekinetically did as Leo asked.

"Shoot!" they both heard Piper exclaim in frustration, her voice muffled by the thick wood of the door.

"She's so predictable," Leo said with a roll of his eyes. With his head cocked to one side, he waited for the sound of his wife's retreating footsteps, and then turned to look his son directly in the eye.

"So - how are you feeling?"

Refusing to hold his gaze, Chris turned to stare, glassy-eyed, at the far wall. "I don't know what's real and what's not."

Without thinking, the Elder reached out to lay a comforting hand on Chris's forearm, a gesture that he immediately flinched back from. Trying not to let the withdrawal bother him too much, Leo folded his hands together in his lap, his eyes still intent on his son's face.

"I know it must be very confusing for you right now but it'll get better with time, I promise," he said, attempting to offer reassurance through words, rather than actions.

Chris ached to accept the comfort that his father offered, but something held him back. "I'm afraid," he whispered, his eyes downcast.

"I know son, I know."

Leo was filled with sudden urge to pound the inanimate objects around him with his fists. Even knowing what Wyatt had become, he still couldn't quite believe that his son had done this to his own brother.

"What did you tell the girls?" Chris asked then, deliberately changing the subject.

Sensing that his son wasn't yet ready to deal with the more painful repercussions from yesterday, Leo allowed the change in topic. "Not that much. They know about Wyatt's spell and the potion - and that you're here to help, not hinder."

"You should tell them who you are though," he added. "There's no reason to keep it a secret."

Chris shook his head stubbornly, his expression shuttered.

"Why not?"

"I... I can't. It could change the future in even worse ways."

Leo closed his eyes, finally realising what the problem was. "Chris," he said soothingly. "Revealing your identity is not going to affect what happened to Piper."

"You don't know that!" Chris said harshly.

"Chris – I don't know whether your Mom's death was related to what happened to Wyatt, or was simply her destiny, but I do know that it had _nothing_ to do with you. You've been given a second chance with her - to say all the things that you never got to say - don't waste it."

"I don't want to lose her all over again." Chris tearfully admitted, his head bowed.

"I know, but isn't taking the risk better than enduring a lifetime of regret?"

"I... I don't know."

"Just think about it okay?"

"Okay," Chris agreed, finally looking his father in the eye. "Do they know?" he asked. "About Mom, I mean."

Leo shook his head. "No, not the specifics anyway. They know Wyatt has two of them imprisoned in the underworld, and that the other is dead, but that's all I told them. That's all they need to know for now."

Chris nodded. "Mom – I mean, Piper - thinks me and Wyatt were friends as children."

"Well, I had to say something to explain away our connection," Leo lamented, giving his son a pointed look - a look that he conveniently ignored.

"Besides, it's not exactly that far from the truth," he added, a fact that Chris acknowledged with a brief incline of his head.

"Speaking of the truth – I think you forgot to mention a few things yesterday." Leo's voice was light and non-accusatory, but Chris started fearfully nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean… I didn't know that would happen," he stuttered nervously, his eyes wild and his manner suddenly becoming agitated.

Leo once again cursed his eldest son. "I'm not angry…," he began.

"Just _disappointed_," Chris cut in bitterly.

"Neither actually," Leo immediately shot back. "You did what had to be done to save Wyatt. I understand that."

"But I split you and Mom up."

"Not intentionally."

"No but…"

"But nothing," Leo cut off his son's protest. "Besides it's all fixed now anyway."

"How?"

"I offered a bit of relationship advice," Leo replied with a hint of a smile. "It seems to have done the trick - seeing as it was Paige, and not Piper, that slept on the sofa last night."

"And I _so _did not need to know that," Chris said, wrinkling his nose in disgust.

Leo laughed. "I'm trying not to think about it either," he admitted ruefully. "I know he's me but still…"

Lulled into a sense of security by his father's calm attitude, Chris almost relaxed, but there was still that lingering doubt in the back of his mind. Realising that he could be falling into a trap, the young whitelighter suddenly straightened, slamming those protective walls back up and shutting the Elder out again. Leo sighed heavily, finding it impossible to conceal his disappointment.

"I'm sorry. It's just…" Chris trailed off with a shake of his head, unable to meet his worried father's gaze.

"Don't worry about it. Just take your time, okay? Nobody said this was going to be easy."

There was a sharp knock on the door then, and they both jumped at the sound. Past Leo poked his head around the doorframe. "Hey! Can I come in?"

Future Leo nodded. "Sure, I was just leaving anyway." He reached out and lightly squeezed his son's forearm, then quietly left the room.

"Umm – Piper asked me to bring you this," Past Leo said, handing Chris a steaming mug of coffee.

"You mean she sent you to find out what was going on."

"Yeah well that too," past Leo acknowledged with a shrug of his shoulders and a glimmer of a smile.

"She's so predictable," Chris said, echoing his father's earlier comment.

Past Leo pulled up a chair and sat down. "Why didn't you tell me we knew each other? That you knew Wyatt?"

Chris shrugged. "It was easier not to."

"I might have been more supportive if I'd known."

"Maybe," the young whitelighter reluctantly conceded.

"Only that's not what you'd come to expect of me right? Because of Wyatt's spell?"

Chris didn't reply but his silence spoke volumes.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Leo asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

It was strange but Chris felt much more comfortable talking to the past version of his father. It was easier somehow, less emotionally charged. Their relationship wasn't the best, but they'd reached an understanding of sorts in recent weeks. They were slowly starting to work alongside each other without the constant rivalry getting in the way.

"It's just so confusing. Everything's all jumbled up inside my head," he said tiredly, rubbing his hands over his face and raking his fingers through his hair.

Leo nodded in understanding. "I can imagine."

"I don't know how to make sense of it."

"I suggest you try to block out the emotional aspects of the situation," Leo quietly advised. "Work through the problem logically. Think about what you'd do if it were someone else in the same predicament. Basically just treat it like you would any other magical dilemma, and forget that it's personal to you."

Chris nodded thoughtfully. "I can do that," he said eventually. "Thanks Leo."

Leo could almost see the cogs working inside the young man's mind. "You're going to orb out and get me in trouble with my wife now, aren't you?" he guessed.

Chris grinned at the word 'wife.' "I'm sorry about well, you know," he said, gesturing with his hand.

"Tricking me into becoming an Elder and banishing me to Valhalla?"

"Yeah that."

"So it was you."

Chris cringed, realising what he'd inadvertently revealed. "I needed you out the way for a while. I guess I didn't think the consequences all the way through."

"Obviously."

"I'm sorry, all right? It was for Wyatt, I didn't…"

"Relax Chris, okay?" Leo quickly cut in. "My future self seems to trust you. More than that, he cares about you. I've decided to trust his judgement."

Chris blew out his breath between his lips. "Thanks."

"No problem – just don't make me regret it."

"I won't, I promise."

With that quiet avowal, Chris orbed out, leaving past Leo to wonder just what else there was to learn about their mysterious visitor from the future. He had the distinct feeling that there were a lot more surprises to come.

**_To be continued…_**


	5. Fathers and Sons

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hello, here's another update for you.

I don't like using the terms 'Future Leo/Past Leo' too much, because it breaks up the flow of the story. So from now on, unless they're in the scene together, I'll establish which one it is and then just stick with 'Leo.' Hope that works out okay for you all – let me know if not.

**Chapter 5**

Having finally worked up the courage to face his first-born son, Future Leo drew in a deep, steadying breath and pushed open the nursery door. He didn't entirely know why he was so reluctant to see Wyatt, but he had purposely avoided coming into contact with his son until now.

When Piper and his past self had gone to pick the boy up from Sheila's last night, he had deliberately made himself scarce, orbing up to the Golden Gate Bridge for some much needed breathing space. He had stayed up there for a long time, absorbing the quiet tranquillity of the place as he mulled over the events of the day in his mind.

When he eventually returned to the Halliwell Manor, several hours later, he did so to find it swathed in darkness, all its occupants sleeping peacefully in their beds. Even then, Leo had bypassed his eldest child's bedroom, choosing to watch over his younger son as he slept instead. Now though, it was time for him to face the reunion that he had been secretly dreading since he got here.

He crossed the room and rested his forearms on the side of the cot, looking down on his slumbering son for the first time in years. Wyatt looked so sweetly innocent lying there, fast asleep, and Leo's heart constricted painfully inside of his chest. With his blond curls framing his cute little face and his eyelashes lying flat against his apple-round cheeks, it just didn't transmute that this angelic babe was now the root of all that was evil in the world.

So many conflicting emotions ran through Leo's mind as he committed his son's features to memory once more – love, anger, hurt, betrayal – and most of all, the agonising pain of a father's loss. Looking upon Wyatt as he once was, brought the reality of who he'd become crashing in on the Elder and he sucked in a sharp breath, unable to hold back the bitter tears that welled up in his eyes as a result.

He reached down and stroked his tiny son's soft cheek with the back of his finger. "Where did it all go wrong, huh little guy?" he said, his voice choked with emotion.

Wyatt's eyelids fluttered at the gentle touch and he awoke, opening his big eyes and gazing drowsily up at his father. His little face split into a delighted smile at the familiar sight, and he raised his arms with a happy gurgle. "Da-da!"

Lowering the side of the cot, Leo tenderly picked Wyatt up and held him close, breathing in his comforting baby-powder smell as he gently stroked his hand over the little boy's soft curls.

"Daddy loves you so much. I'm so sorry I failed you, I'm so sorry," he whispered to his beloved son, his voice breaking on the words.

"You didn't fail him, Leo."

Leo jumped, his head whipping around at the voice.

"Sorry," Phoebe said, with an apologetic shrug of her shoulders. "I was walking by and, well… I've not exactly got the hang of controlling my empathy power yet. You think that's gonna happen any time soon?"

"Nice try, Phoebe, but that's something you'll have to find out by yourself."

Phoebe stuck her tongue out at him and pouted. "Spoilsport."

Leo smiled, despite the deep sense of sorrow that permeated his whole being. With a soft sigh, he sat down the chair by the cot, settling Wyatt comfortably in his lap. Phoebe crossed to join him, sitting cross-legged on the floor at his feet.

"I meant what I said, Leo," she said, reiterating her earlier statement. "You only fail him if you give up. And you haven't done that yet, have you?"

"No, it's just… you don't know what it's like, Phoebe, knowing your son is evil and yet loving him at the same time."

"Yes, I do."

Leo's eyes widened as he remembered her short-lived pregnancy with Cole's baby. "Yeah, I guess you do. I'm sorry."

"I know it's not the same. I mean, my baby was evil from conception, whereas Wyatt was - is the essence of all that is good."

"Not any more," her brother-in-law replied, his voice heavy with hopeless despair. "I look at him and I see a stranger, someone I don't even know. There's hardly anything left of the boy that he used to be, it's all been consumed by the evil that infects him. The things he does, the people he hurts…"

Leo broke off and shook his head. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't be telling you this. It's better that you don't know."

Phoebe leaned forward and placed her hand on his arm. "We will save him, Leo," she said firmly. "You were right yesterday – we haven't been helping Chris enough but that's going to change, I promise."

Leo sighed. "I just wish it wasn't like searching for a needle in a haystack. It's been nearly seven years, and we still know virtually nothing about what happened to him. Every new lead just ends up in a dead end – even here in the past."

"Yeah, but at least we're forewarned and on our guard. And we have this annoyingly persistent whitelighter to help us - someone who is the very definition of the word tenacity when it comes to finding the evil that turned Wyatt. That's got to make a difference."

Leo nodded, a deep sense of pride filling him at his younger son's absolute determination to save his brother. "Yeah I guess it does. I just worry that he'll take things too far."

"Who Chris? You think he'd hurt Wyatt?"

"No, of course not. That's not what I meant. I meant he might put himself in unnecessary danger to achieve what he came here to do."

"And that's a bad thing?" Phoebe said, and then hurried to explain her meaning off Leo's horrified look. "Don't get me wrong, I like Chris, I do, but this is Wyatt we're talking about. Of course, I would do everything in my power to prevent Chris from getting hurt. In the end though, rescuing my nephew is the most important thing. If our whitelighter is prepared to go that extra mile for him, then so be it."

Leo looked past Phoebe at the far wall, his blue-green eyes unreadable as he silently digested her words. He couldn't really blame her for her attitude; she didn't know the truth. It did make him realise something though - if he couldn't persuade Chris to reveal his identity before he left to go back to the future, then he would have to break his word and tell his past self and the girls himself.

It was bad enough losing one son, there was no way he was risking losing another. His family needed to know that they must protect Chris at all costs. They had to know that he would be a sacrifice too far. Trading one son for the other was not an option as far as Leo was concerned.

"Leo! Are you okay?"

Phoebe's voice broke into his thoughts, and he refocused his gaze on her face. "Sorry – just zoned out there for a minute."

"Future issues?"

"Something like that."

Leo got to his feet and returned Wyatt to his cot, pressing a brief kiss to the baby's temple before he set him down.

"I need to find Chris," he told Phoebe, and then disappeared in a swirl of blue orbs…

**_P3, fifteen minutes earlier…_**

Chris knelt on the floor, pencil in hand and two large sheets of paper spread out in front of him. He had taken Past Leo's advice, and tried to approach the problem of deciphering his jumbled-up memories in a logical manner.

The pieces of paper had started out the same, each divided into a series of boxes representing two years of his life. He had cleared his mind of all extraneous thought, shutting out everything but the two sets of recollections associated with his father. He then set about putting those memories onto paper. The diagram on the left represented his remembrance of his and Leo's relationship before he'd taken the potion, while the one on the right contained his recently restored memories.

He had been working on it for nearly an hour now and he was starting to get a headache. No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't keep his emotions out of the equation, so this simple task was proving to be extremely taxing on his tired psyche.

Chris sat back and sighed, rubbing the heels of his hands into his sore and gritty eyes. He decided that he needed to take a break for a while, so left his memory maps laid out on the floor and went off in search of a sandwich and a drink. Wandering back into the Club ten minutes later, the young whitelighter froze in his tracks, his heart lurching inside of his chest as he realised the answer to his dilemma was staring him right in the face.

It hadn't been noticeable close up, he'd been too bogged down in the detail, but viewing the charts from a distance, Chris could clearly see the difference between the two diagrams. The one on the right – his restored memories – had something written in virtually every box, whereas the one on the left looked like a half-finished patchwork quilt. There were huge gaps, missing pockets of time that his mind had explained away as Leo being 'up there,' or 'far too busy being Elder to bother with a visit.'

Falling to his knees in front of the charts, Chris realised something else. Every memory in his earlier recollection of events was something big, something significant. It was all designed to cause him pain, to make him feel unwanted, second best.

There were several missed birthdays, and times when Leo had taken Wyatt out but not bothered to invite him along too. There was the casual indifference displayed when he'd won a spell-writing competition at school, an attitude that contrasted vividly with the mountain of praise that was heaped upon his elder brother's every move. And it went on and on in a similar fashion…

As he finally opened his mind to what his deep-rooted pain had prevented him from seeing up until now, Chris's hands rose to cover his mouth, his breath heaving in harsh gasps. His memories were fake, utterly contrived, a series of haphazard dots that didn't join to make a complete picture.

Unable to look at it the evidence of his brother's betrayal anymore, he transferred his gaze to the other memory map, reaching out to run his fingers over some of the words written on the page and allowing their comforting warmth to wash over him.

It was the little things that jumped out at him – being tucked up into bed and read a story, riding on his Dad's shoulders at the Zoo. Chris had never seen the attraction of the Zoo, but it was his Mom and brother's favourite place, so he had to endure it on a regular basis. When Leo had joined them though, it had always been an infinitely more fun day out.

There were painful times as well, times when his father had been angry with him, or disappointed by something he'd done. That didn't matter though, that was life - that was _family._ It was all part of an endless cycle of care and attention. In essence, the pieces of the jigsaw that fit together to make a father's love.

Chris closed his eyes, two single tears running down his cheeks as something shifted inside of his brain, and the effects of Wyatt's spell started to wane. He didn't know what to think, how to feel, he was just numb with shock and disbelief.

Tinkling orb sounds filled his ears then, distracting him, and he leapt to his feet, panicked by the unexpected interruption. As he hastily brushed away his fallen tears, Leo emerged from the blur of turquoise lights, and Chris sagged in relief when he spotted the bright blue 'F' decorating the Elder's breastbone.

"What is it? What's wrong?" his father asked, immediately noticing his pale countenance and tear-stained cheeks.

Chris pointed at the two pieces of paper on the ground at his feet. "I took your past self's advice," he said, his voice barely audible.

Future Leo stepped forward and followed his son's gaze down to the two charts spread out on the floor. It didn't take him long to see the significance of what they showed. "Chris…"

"Why?" the young witch-whitelighter suddenly burst out, "Why did he do this? Why did he do this _to me_?"

"It wasn't about you, you know that. It was about limiting the Elder's power by breaking the link between our two worlds."

"He's still my brother though, and he still knew _exactly_ which buttons to press."

"What do you mean?"

"He used my two greatest fears to totally manipulate me," Chris ruefully admitted. "He fed off my terror of losing another parent, and my inferiority complex in relation to him."

Leo's eyes opened wide at that. "I didn't make you feel like…?" he started to ask.

"No, no – you didn't, nor did the rest of the family. It was just in general, you know? Come on – are you really that surprised? Wyatt's the Twice-Blessed one, and I'm… well, I'm just me."

"Well, 'just you' is doing just fine if you ask me."

"You're biased."

"Quite possibly," Leo agreed with a grin.

Chris shyly returned the smile, still feeling awkward. The pull to reconnect with his lost father was strong, but other, more painful, memories remained, and he couldn't shake off their effects completely. Sensing his uncertainty, Leo broke the emotional deadlock and reached out to pull his hesitant son into a bear hug.

Unable to stop himself, Chris immediately stiffened, desperate to pull away. He forced himself to relax into the embrace though, determined to shake off the devastating results of Wyatt's cruel spell. After a brief struggle, he successfully won the battle with his confused emotions and buried his face against his father's shoulder, finally lifting his arms to return the hug.

"You've done a lot of growing up," Leo noted when they broke apart a few moments later.

"I've heard it happens when you get older," Chris joked.

"Still a smart-ass though."

"Come on Dad – you know you missed me."

Leo laughed and shook his head. He had missed his son's droll sense of humour and it made a change to hear it again, rather than having to face the painful consequences of Wyatt's spell instead. It had been so hard to see his boy suffering, knowing that he was inadvertently the cause of his pain.

The deep hurt and anger had always been so evident in Chris's eyes whenever Leo looked at him, but he had been powerless to do anything to ease that needless emotional torment. The protective walls that Chris had built up were just too high for him to surmount, so he had focused his attention on finding a way to reverse Wyatt's magic instead.

It had taken five long years though, during which time his son had grown from a gauche teenager - frightened half to death by his brother's transformation - into a determined and focused young man, who was intent on saving him. With a sharp pang of regret, Leo realised that they would never get those years back. The ripple effects of Wyatt's turning had cut a devastating path throughout the whole family - it was a wound that would probably never fully heal.

All hope rested on changing the future for the better therefore. It was a burden that, by default, had fallen on his younger son, and that realisation made Leo even more determined not to leave without Chris's true identity being known. His boy would not carry this alone, it would be with his family's full support whether he liked it or not.

"Come on," he said, reaching out to give Chris's shoulder a friendly squeeze. "Let's go some place where we're less likely to be interrupted. We need to talk."

Chris nodded and bent to retrieve his memory maps from the floor. "The bridge?" he suggested as he straightened up.

Leo nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly," he replied.

In a shimmer of dancing blue lights, the reunited father and son orbed out to the place where they both found that innate sense of inner peace, finally free to make a start on mending their fractured relationship.

_**To be continued… **_


	6. Reminiscing

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hey! Another update for you. Thanks for all the lovely reviews – I'm so glad you're enjoying my story. On with the show then – it's the calm before the inevitable storm…

**Chapter 6**

Bouncing a gurgling Wyatt on his knee, Leo watched as Piper moved industriously about the kitchen, gathering the various cooking utensils and foodstuffs she needed for the batch of cookies that she intended to bake. Dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, and with her long dark hair tied back into a loose ponytail, she looked every inch the content wife and mother as she happily immersed herself in quiet domesticity.

Up until now, Leo hadn't really realised how much inner tension Piper had been suppressing since their break-up. She was a strong woman, he knew, but the months as a single mother had been a tremendous strain on her. When she'd broken down and wept in his arms the previous night, he'd been shocked by the extent of her distress.

Her renewed interest in dating had just been a smoke screen, he discovered, a way to convince herself and her sisters that she was doing fine, when in reality she was falling apart inside. His own 'I'm okay with it as long as she's happy' attitude had only served to compound the problem, making her think that it had been easy for him to let go of her, when in truth it had been anything but.

Prompted by his future self's revelations though, they'd finally opened their hearts and been truly honest about their feelings for the first time since their split. They'd talked late into the night, eventually reaching the conclusion that they both wanted their marriage to work. Although they had a way to go before everything was back to normal, things were on the mend now, and that brought them both a great deal of comfort after the recent months of emotional stress.

"So when are you going to speak to the Elders?" Piper asked, pulling a pastel blue apron over her head and securing it around her waist.

"I figured I'd wait until my future self has gone back to his own time," Leo replied, trying to distract his squirming son by jiggling a set of car-keys in front of him.

"I'm not putting it off," he added, when his wife shot him her patented 'you've got to be kidding me' look. "It's just him being here and blatantly disregarding the rules about time travelling isn't exactly the best advert for allowing an Elder to have a family life."

"I suppose not," Piper looked down, not completely mollified by his reasoning. She was petrified that her husband would be taken away from her again. She just wanted the impending confrontation with the Elders to be over, so they could move on with their lives without all the uncertainty hanging over their heads.

Sensing her disquiet, Leo stood up and deposited Wyatt in his high chair, then pulled her into the circle of his arms. "Don't worry," he said into her hair as he held her close. "I'm not letting you go again. If I have to, I'll quit."

Piper clung to him for a moment, before stepping back and looking up at his face. "You can't do that," she said quietly. "It's part of who you are."

Leo gently cupped the side of her face in his palm and rested his forehead against hers. "So are you," he replied. "I honestly don't think it will come to that though. My future self knew what he was talking about - things are pretty chaotic 'up there' at the moment. They need me more than I need them right now, which means the bargaining power is all ours."

Buoyed by his quiet confidence, Piper looped her arms around his neck, stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "You know what's weird," she said, when they eventually drew apart a short while later.

"What?" Leo asked, leaning against the counter-top as she began to weigh out the ingredients for the cookie dough.

"How easily I've managed to forgive Chris for everything he did to us," Piper replied. "I should be angry at him, only strangely I'm not."

"I know what you mean," Leo agreed. "It's like I know I should be giving him a hard time, but I can't bring myself to do it. Maybe it's because we know for sure now that his only motive is to save Wyatt."

"No, it's more than that. Your future self is so – oh, I don't know – protective of him, I guess. There's this whole adult/child dynamic going on. I know it makes sense, seeing as in the future, he's Wyatt's age, but I just never thought of Chris in that way before."

"What you mean as a kid desperately trying to save his friend in the only way he can think of?"

"Exactly. It changes things somehow. I… what was that?" Piper broke off as the sound of a loud crash came from the other room.

Scooping Wyatt up into his arms, Leo cautiously followed her through into the Conservatory, preparing to orb out and protect his son if necessary. The room was empty though. One window stood wide open however, creaking on its hinges in the wind.

With a puzzled frown, Piper bent down to pick up the smashed photograph frame that lay face down on the floor. "Do you think someone was here?"

"Either that, or someone just forget to latch the window properly," Leo replied, as he set Wyatt down on the floor amongst his toys, and went over to shut the window.

"Phoebe and Paige are still upstairs right?"

"Yes, both present and correct," Leo replied, quickly sensing his sister-in-laws' familiar presence in the house.

Piper relaxed. "I swear I'm getting paranoid – I see demon attacks around every corner. Let's go with the simplest explanation until we know otherwise, shall we?"

"Sounds like a good idea to me," Leo replied, smiling down at Wyatt, who was holding up a plastic shape and looking up at him with a hopeful expression on his little face.

"Okay, you play with our son, and I'll go and finish those cookies."

"What have you got there, Wyatt?" Leo asked, as he knelt down besides the baby and reached for a large spherical object with various shaped holes cut into it. "Shall we play post the shape, huh?"

With his forehead creased in concentration, Wyatt stubbornly attempted to fit the circular shape in his hands into the square hole. His father eventually persuaded him to try another shaped slot though, and the small boy cooed in delight when the object disappeared into the hollow plastic ball with a satisfying plop.

Her lips curling up into a contented smile, Piper turned on her heel and went back into the kitchen to finish her baking, leaving her husband behind to entertain their little son.

**_Meanwhile, high up on the Golden Gate Bridge…_**

"I remember the first time we came up here – I was about five, I think."

Chris was perched, cross-legged, on a wide beam suspended high above the busy road that traversed the bridge far below. He sat facing his father, who was leaning against the supporting column with his legs stretched out in front of him.

"Four," Leo immediately corrected. "It was the week after Wyatt's sixth birthday."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, I'm not likely to forget, believe me. I was in trouble with your Mom for days after."

"Why? Oh right – because of Wyatt."

There was a brief silence, and then Chris began to laugh, his shoulders shaking with mirth.

"Chris – it's not funny," his father reproved, despite the smile tugging at the corner of his lips.

His mild censure only increased his son's amusement however, and Leo shook his head with a smile, casting his mind back to the incident that was the cause of all the hilarity…

**_Sometime during 2008…_**

"Okay little guy – I think that's you about ready to go," Leo said, as he zipped his younger son up in his thick, padded coat.

With woollen gloves on his hands, and a blue and white striped bobble hat covering his shock of dark hair, the little boy looked as if he was about to go on a trip to the Artic. Leo knew Piper would kill him if he allowed their son to catch cold though.

Of course, if she knew the destination of the father and son outing that he had planned, she would probably have his guts for garters anyway. He was prepared to take the risk however, for the pleasure that he hoped the excursion would bring to his two boys.

Speaking of which – his eldest was currently engrossed in a cartoon on the television, and had so far ignored repeated requests for him to come and get ready.

"Wyatt, if you don't turn that off and come and put your coat on right now, then we'll go without you," he threatened, raising his voice to attract the six year old's attention.

With an exaggerated show of reluctance, Wyatt turned off the television and stomped into the hallway, his expression sulky. Completely ignoring the boy's petulance, Leo calmly handed him his coat, and then pulled on his own jacket.

"Where are we going?" Wyatt asked, finally doing as he was told when he realised his father wasn't taking the bait and attempting to appease him.

"It's a surprise," was Leo's rather cryptic reply.

The young boy perked up a bit at that. "Cool!" he declared.

'Cool' was Wyatt's word of the moment, he used it to describe everything, whether it was appropriate or not. Having heard it at least twenty times a day for past month or so, Piper was on the verge of casting a spell to ban it from the English Language forever. It had taken some fast-talking on Leo's part to persuade her that it wasn't such a good idea to mess with something as fundamental as the spoken word in that way.

"Put your gloves on," Leo instructed, as he bent and hoisted Chris up into his arms.

The Elder waited patiently while Wyatt did just that, and then reached out to take the boy's hand in his. He then orbed all three of them to an out of the way spot with a clear view of the Golden Gate Bridge, where he set Chris back down on his feet.

"We're going up there," he informed the two boys, squatting down to their level and pointing out the bridge with his finger.

"Right to the top?" Little Chris's mouth dropped open and his green eyes grew round with awe.

"Right to the top." Leo confirmed.

"Cool!" his younger son said, unconsciously echoing his brother's earlier comment.

Wyatt however, was dubious. "What if we fall off?" he asked.

"You won't if you stick by me and don't go running off," Leo replied soothingly. "If you slip, then just orb back down here, okay?"

Wyatt nodded, still not entirely convinced but trusting his father's judgement. Taking both boys firmly by the hand, Leo stood back up and orbed them to one of his preferred spots, a relatively sheltered alcove on the bridge's South Tower.

"Look Daddy, Look Wyatt. Look how far you can see!" Chris said, his face lighting up with delight as he took in the spectacular view.

"Chris, be careful!" Leo warned sharply, as the little boy scampered excitedly out along the metal beam with no heed for life or limb.

"Can you see our house?" Chris asked, turning back to face his father, his eyes shining with wonderment.

Leo quickly moved to join his son, reaching out take him by the arm to stop him from running off again. "It's over that way," he replied, pointing in the general direction of the Halliwell Manor. "But it's too far away to see."

Chris nodded solemnly, carefully taking that information in. "Come and look, Wyatt," he called to his brother. "You can't properly see from there. It's so cool!"

Puzzled by the lack of response from his eldest, Leo turned around to find Wyatt ashen-faced and trembling. He looked positively green, his face dewed with beads of sweat and his eyes wide with terror. Leo hurried over to kneel in front of the petrified boy.

"Come on," he said, holding out his hand in encouragement. "It's perfectly safe."

Instead of taking his father's hand, Wyatt shrank back against the supporting column, trying to stay as far away from the edge as possible. "I don't like it," he said, his eyes filling with tears.

Chris stared at his brother, open-mouthed in astonishment. What was wrong with him? He was the one who needed a nightlight because of the possibility of monsters under the bed - Wyatt wasn't scared of anything! He said Chris was stupid because he was frightened of the dark.

"Are you going to be sick?" he asked curiously. "You look like you're going to be sick."

"Chris!" Leo admonished, before turning back to Wyatt. "Come on buddy – just take my hand. I won't let you fall, I promise."

"NO! I want to go home. Please Daddy, can we go home?"

"Okay, okay," Leo gently soothed his panic-stricken son. "I'm sorry; I thought you'd like it. We can go if you want to."

"But we only just got here," Chris protested, his mouth turning down at the corners.

"We'll come back another time," Leo pledged in an attempt to pacify his disappointed second son.

"You promise?"

"I promise."

With that assurance, the Elder orbed his boys back to the Manor and prepared to face his wife's wrath…

_**Back in 2003…**_

"Who'd have thought it, huh?" Chris mused, once his laughter had died down. "The all powerful Wyatt Halliwell afraid of heights."

"He learned to control his fear eventually."

"But he never completely got over it though, did he? Coming up here – it was the only way I could get away from him." Chris's expression darkened as his thoughts turned to bleaker times. "He wanted me to join him, you know."

"I know. I'm so proud of you for resisting. I know he put a lot of pressure on you. I tried to help, tried to protect you from him, but you wouldn't let me anywhere near you."

"I'm sorry…"

"No, no apologies Chris, okay? It wasn't your fault."

"But the things I said…"

"Hurt a lot. I won't deny that. But Wyatt was responsible, not you."

"What happens if I can't save him?" Chris blurted out, finally giving voice to his deepest fear.

"We'll cross that bridge if we come to it," his father replied firmly, refusing to even discuss that possibility. Instead, he focused back on the reason why he'd suggested they come up here to talk in the first place.

"You don't have to deal with this alone, you know. If you just t…" Leo stopped, as an echoing cry suddenly broke free of the background murmur in his ears and grabbed his immediate attention.

_Chris! Leo! We need you!_

Father and Son were on their feet in seconds. "Paige," they said in unison as their molecular structure dissolved into shimmering blue lights…

_**To be continued…**_

**I know, that was evil, but cliffhangers are cool :-)**


	7. Under Attack

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hey – wave – I'm on a roll with this right now, so a relatively quick update for me. Sorry about my little cliffhanger joke and the end of the last chapter – hope posting this one makes up for it. Be prepared for an emotional rollercoaster ride...

**Chapter 7**

Chris and Future Leo orbed into the attic to find Paige and Patty busily sorting out magic supplies. While there was definitely a strong sense of urgency infusing their activities, they were surprisingly unhurt.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Chris asked, still concerned nevertheless. The girls didn't usually call for no reason.

"A Darklighter attacked," Patty quietly informed him as she reached up to take a large jar down from the top shelf.

"Wyatt?" was both men's immediate response to that worrying piece of information.

"He's fine," Paige replied. "Piper blew him up."

"The Darklighter, not Wyatt," she added off their dumbfounded looks. "Geez!"

"What's with all the panic then?" Leo asked, confused.

"Phoebe had a premonition - there's more on the way, a whole army of them in fact."

Chris and Future Leo exchanged a quick look of alarm; something that didn't go unnoticed by Paige, whose eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What is it?" she demanded.

"Darklighters are a lot more effective in the future," Leo explained. "They learned to work as a military unit, rather than alone or in pairs. Phoebe's premonition sounds like one of their organised attacks. It did all start about now, come to think of it."

"Well, a little warning would have been nice," Paige said, shooting Chris a reproachful look.

"Hey, how was I supposed to know?" her whitelighter protested. "I was minus two at the time."

He looked over at his father. "You think the change in their tactics was tied to what happened to Wyatt?"

Leo frowned thoughtfully. "Could have been, I suppose," he said. "It never really occurred to me before, but yes, that sounds highly likely."

"Well, there's no time to worry about it now," Paige interrupted impatiently. "We need to make enough vanquishing potion to deal with them all, so get your butts in gear and start helping."

As Future Leo and Chris moved to do just that, Phoebe and Penny hurried into the attic, their arms laden with a variety of herb and spice jars. They dumped the items on the table next to the supplies that Paige and Patty had been collecting, and then started setting up one of the small metal cauldrons that the Charmed Ones used to brew their potions in.

A few seconds later, tinkling orb sounds heralded the arrival of Piper and Present Leo. The eldest Charmed One had a changing-bag slung over one of her shoulders, while her husband held little Wyatt tightly in his arms.

"Leo's going to take Wyatt 'up there' where it's safe," Piper informed the room as she passed the bag over to the Elder.

"No, I'll do it," Future Leo cut in, shaking his head and striding purposely across the attic towards his counterpart. "I think you should stay here," he said, taking his small son out of his past self's arms. "The girls might need your help."

"But can't you…?" Present Leo started to protest before he was unceremoniously cut off mid-sentence.

"No! It's not a good idea for me to use my powers while I'm here in the past," his future self said. "Orbing is safe enough because it's relatively passive, but anything more active could adversely affect the balance of the universe."

"How are you going to explain yourself to the other Elders though?"

"I'm not. I'll pretend I'm you – they'll never know the difference."

"I guess that could work," Present Leo acknowledged, and handed over the Wyatt's changing-bag.

Future Leo took the holdall from him and looked around at his gathered family. "You should do this downstairs," he suggested. "You're vulnerable up here in the attic. You shouldn't encourage an organised Darklighter attack in such close quarters."

The Halliwell women quickly saw the logic to his thinking - much to their combined chagrin. "Great! Just when we've brought everything upstairs," Paige said, throwing up her hands in dismay.

Future Leo smiled at the mortified looks that decorated the five witches' faces. "I'm sure your Leo can deal with that problem easily enough," he soothed.

Present Leo shot his opposite number a quick grin, and then orbed the magical supplies and equipment down to the Kitchen with a casual wave of his hand.

"Show off," Phoebe said, playfully poking her tongue out at her brother-in-law.

"Be prepared to let go of your pacifist tendencies when they attack," Future Leo warned his past self then, his expression turning deadly serious.

Present Leo nodded, a cold finger of dread running through him as the ominous meaning of that cautionary statement sank in. Satisfied that his message had been received and understood, Future Leo turned to address his grown-up son.

"Be careful, okay?" he said. "Don't do anything rash."

Chris rolled his eyes in a long-suffering manner. "You did notice I'm not a child anymore, didn't you?" he complained in a distinctly whiny tone.

"You don't honestly expect that to make any difference, do you?"

"Not really. But it was worth a try at least, wasn't it?"

"Chris!"

"All right! I'll be careful, I promise. Just go. Take Wyatt some place safe."

His curiosity piqued by his future self's overprotective behaviour, Leo silently observed the exchange between the dark-haired whitelighter and his other self with interest. There was a lot more going on than first met the eye, he realised. So much was being said beneath the surface of those innocuous words but for the life of him, he couldn't fathom out what.

"Some day soon, you're going to tell me why I'm so involved in your life," he said to Chris, after Future Leo had orbed away with Wyatt. "I get that you've been placed under my protection, but if that's the case, there must be something special about you. Only you don't seem all that powerful to me."

"Okay – way to be insulting!" Chris said, highly affronted by the inference that, in magical terms, he was nothing out of the ordinary. "We can't all be twice-blessed and super powerful, you know."

"I meant that there's something you're not telling us about yourself, and you know it," Leo retorted irritably. "In fact, I think it's about time you enlightened us to what that something is."

Finding himself unexpectedly under duress, Chris fell back on his inherent love of sarcasm to dig himself out of the hole he was in. "Hello? Darklighter attack imminent, or did you forget that significant little detail?"

"You can't keep avoiding the question forever, you know."

"Wanna bet? I came back to save Wyatt, not to tell you every little thing that happens in the future. Now I suggest we get to work on that vanquishing potion – unless, of course, you were actually planning on dying today."

"All right, have it your way. But this conversation isn't over, not by a long shot."

**_Half an hour later…_**

"How many is that?" Phoebe asked as she placed another couple of bottles of vanquishing potion on the dining room table.

"Umm – about thirty," Paige replied after a quick count-up. "You think that's enough?"

"Err – I think it's gonna have to be," Phoebe replied as five Darklighters suddenly black-orbed into the entrance hall, crossbows poised at the ready.

"Guys? A little help please!" she frantically called out to the others, who were still mixing up the potion in the kitchen.

Grabbing a bottle each, Phoebe and Paige hurled the potion at the quintet of Darklighters, succeeding in vanquishing two of them before the heavy rain of arrows forced them to take refuge behind the cabinet.

Summoned by her sister's cry for help and running as fast as her legs could carry her, Piper hurtled out of the kitchen, and promptly blew up the other three, her hands opening and closing in rapid succession. The second wave of the attack was upon them in a blink of an eye, giving them precious little time to arm themselves.

"Okay, so Leo wasn't kidding when he said they were more organised," Paige exclaimed as black-robed Darklighters surrounded them. "Hey, are they wearing uniforms?"

With a sharp twang, six crossbows were fired in unison, forcing the main targets of the attack - Leo, Chris and Paige - to orb out to avoid being hit by the poisoned weapons. They re-materialised at various points around the downstairs living space, while Phoebe, Penny and Paige continued to pelt the Darklighters with bottles of the vanquishing potion.

"You three stay back!" Piper warned, systematically blowing up several of their assailants, her eyes narrowed in concentration.

What followed over the next five minutes was a series of well-organised and unpredictable raids by the Darklighter army. As a result, the Halliwell's supply of vanquishing potion was quickly exhausted, leaving a defiant Piper as their main source of resistance.

Chris and Paige did all they could to help though, diverting as many arrows as possible into the chests of their attackers with their telekinetic and orbing powers. They were struggling to keep on top of the unrelenting bombardment however, and their enemies were gradually gaining the upper hand. As was inevitable, a stray arrow finally broke through their hard-pressed defences and unerringly found its intended target.

"PIPER!"

Several voices rang out in horror as the dark-haired witch let out a sharp cry and fell to the ground, clutching at her left shoulder. Chris was on his feet and rushing towards his mother in seconds, his heart thumping wildly in fear. He'd seen her die once before; he couldn't cope if it happened again. Much to his relief though, Piper, although pale and bleeding, was alert and fully conscious.

"Relax," she said, as she hauled herself upright with a grimace of pain. "It's only a little nick…"

"Get down!" Chris cried out, pushing her to the floor as a plethora of arrows headed in their direction. Dodging the flying missiles, the two of them quickly scrambled out of the way, taking cover behind an armchair as the weapons rained down around them in a deadly hailstorm.

"Leo," Chris shouted desperately at the past version of his father. "Energy Blast them!"

Leo was taken aback by the request, wondering how the young whitelighter knew about his newly acquired Elder powers. His future self's earlier words about letting go of his pacifist tendencies echoed in his head then however, prompting him to take action.

Rising to his feet, he allowed the suppressed power within himself to build to a rapid crescendo, then took aim and fired the resulting energy bolts from the ends of his outstretched fingers. With screams of agony, the remaining Darklighter soldiers started to convulse, burning from the inside out before they suddenly exploded into nothingness.

A shocked silence descended over the Halliwell Manor in the wake of the Darklighter's cataclysmic destruction, as everyone but Chris turned to stare at Leo in absolute amazement. Feeling suddenly self-conscious under his family's intense scrutiny, the Elder slowly lowered his hands back down to his sides and deliberately avoided their searching gazes.

"A little healing here would be good," Chris said then, as he helped Piper to her feet with a supportive hand under her elbow.

Leo nodded and hurried over to his wife. Extending his hand towards her injured shoulder, he allowed the warm, therapeutic glow of his healing power to emanate from his palm, curing her oozing wound in a matter of moments.

"Whoa! That was some fire-power, Leo," Paige said, shaking herself out of her shock. "Where the hell did you get that from?"

"It's an Elder power," her brother-in-law explained. "It's only supposed to be used in extreme circumstances. As a rule, Elders are meant to nurture, not destroy."

"Yeah well, we would have been toast without you, so I reckon this classed as an 'extreme circumstance'."

Leo nodded and looked over at Chris. "How did you know? Few people are aware that the Elders possess that kind of power."

The whitelighter shrugged, noncommittally. "'Extreme circumstances' happen pretty often in the future," was the only explanation he offered.

Leo opened his mouth to question the young man further, but was interrupted when his future self orbed back into the Manor with their little son in his arms.

"Sorry," Future Leo said as he deposited Wyatt in the playpen. "I know this is probably a bit premature, but you seem to have everything under control, and I was about to strangle some of my colleagues. I'd forgotten how insufferably self-righteous they used to be."

As Chris watched his father straighten up and move towards them, everything seemed to happen all at once. He caught a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye, just as Wyatt's shield unexpectedly went up. Then, a lone Darklighter rose up from his hiding place behind the wicker loveseat in the Conservatory, his crossbow loaded and at the ready.

"Dad, look out!" Chris shouted out as the bolt left the firing mechanism and headed straight for the unsuspecting Elder.

Gesturing wildly, he frantically pushed his father out of the arrow's trajectory with his telekinetic power. Tossed aside like a rag-doll, Future Leo crashed into the cupboard that stood against one wall, which, unfortunately, placed his youngest son directly in the poisoned arrow's path instead.

Before he'd even registered the danger, the steel-tipped bolt had embedded itself in Chris's chest with a sickening thud. The arrow's sharp tip slid effortlessly through his torso into his heart, and the faltering organ began to pump the poison around his body at an alarming rate. His vision blurring, he crumpled to the floor, his legs giving out under him as his world quickly faded to black.

_Dad, look out! Dad, look out! Dad, look out! _

Chris's sharp cry of warning reverberated around Present Leo's brain like a lingering echo, as events suddenly seemed to be taking place in slow motion. With an angry gesture, Piper effortlessly blew up the offending Darklighter, who exploded in flames, prompting Wyatt to drop his shield. Chris, meanwhile, slid to the floor like a dying swan, just as Future Leo rose to his feet with a cry of horror.

"Chris! NO!"

It was his future counterpart's anxious dash across the room that finally galvanised Leo into action. As his other self fell to his knees and frantically tugged out the arrow protruding from Chris's chest, he quickly moved to join him at the stricken boy's side.

"No," he said, catching Future Leo's hands in his as he unthinkingly extended them out over the gaping hole in Chris's chest.

"What? He's dying! I have to heal him."

Present Leo was thinking much more clearly than his counterpart was however, not having fully registered that the unconscious young man in front of him was his second son yet. "I meant let me do it," he explained. "You shouldn't be using your powers, remember?"

"All right but hurry, he's not got much time left."

As his healing power began to flow through his body and out of his hands, Leo discovered that was indeed true. The deadly poison already inhabited virtually every cell in Chris's body and he could feel his life force slowly ebbing away under his fingers. It was a battle to pull the whitelighter back from the brink when he was so close to the edge, but Leo was naturally stubborn and so refused to give in without a damn good fight.

Future Leo could only watch and wait as his past self struggled valiantly to break through the barrier of death and bring Chris back to the land of the living. Stroking the hair away from his son's forehead, he bent to whisper words of encouragement in the boy's ear, not knowing what else to do.

"Come on, come on, fight it okay? It's not your time yet, I know it's not your time," he murmured under his breath, his voice cracking with emotion.

Luckily, Present Leo's dogged persistence paid off as, with a bell-like sound, the barrier finally broke. As the colour rapidly returned to his pallid cheeks, Chris sucked in a huge lungful of air and shot upright, his eyes flickering open. Still a little disorientated, he looked confusedly between the two versions of his father, and then his hand went to the now healed wound in his chest.

"Oww!" he said with serious understatement, casting a sheepish look at Future Leo.

Releasing his unconsciously held breath with a whoosh, Future Leo reached out to ruffle Chris's unruly mop of dark hair as wave of relief ran through him. "I thought I told you not to do anything rash," he said, pressing a brief kiss to the top of his son's bent head.

"Erm, excuse me," Paige interrupted, stepping forward with a stunned expression on her lovely face. "Did you call him 'Dad,' back there, or was I just imagining that?"

Chris jumped, his eyes widening as he recalled his inadvertent slip of the tongue. After shooting an uncomfortable glance at Present Leo on his left, his gaze sought out Piper, who was staring at him with a look of absolute shock on her face.

Unable to handle her intense scrutiny, Chris quickly turned to look at Future Leo, taking solace from his steady and comforting gaze.

"Uh-oh," he said nervously, as he realised his carefully kept secret was well and truly exposed.

_**To be continued…**_

**P.S. I don't know what Leo's power is called btw. 'Energy Blasting' seemed a good as term as any though.**


	8. Revelations

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **I have more time to write at the weekend, so another update for you. Please read and review, I love reviews!

**Chapter 8**

The silence was deafening, and to Chris, extremely oppressive as he buckled under the weight of six pairs of eyes upon him. Getting awkwardly to his feet, he kept his head bowed and his eyes trained on the floor, as he waited for somebody – anybody – to react.

It was the matriarch of the Halliwell clan, who finally broke the Mexican standoff. Shaking herself out of her reverie, her eyes burned into the top of her great-grandson's bent head, as she demanded, "You're a Halliwell?"

Reacting automatically to Penny's peremptory tone, Chris immediately squared his shoulders and stood up straighter, his eyes snapping up to her face. He opened his mouth to deny it, but the sudden, reassuring warmth of Future Leo's hand between his shoulder blades stopped him in his tracks.

The constant secrecy, it was just too hard for him to maintain. He didn't want to be responsible for the fate of the world anymore. All he wanted was for someone to tell him that everything was going to be okay, that this desperate trip to the past wasn't just an exercise in futility, a fool's errand with no hope of succeeding. He wanted - no, needed - to feel his mother's comforting arms around him again, to be safe in the warm security of his family's love.

His mouth opened and closed a few times before he eventually gave in and admitted the truth. "Yes."

His whispered confession was barely audible, but it sounded like a foghorn in the ears of his listening audience.

"You're my son. That's why…" Present Leo trailed off, shaking his head in stunned disbelief. "I need to sit down," he said, groping behind him for the armrest of the nearest sofa, where he parked himself with a heavy thud.

Chris's breathing quickened in growing panic. His heart was racing, and he desperately wanted to run, but something kept him glued to the spot. He couldn't move, do, or say anything as he waited for his family's verdict. What had he expected? That they would just welcome him with open arms and everything would be okay again. Real life wasn't like that, he knew. It was hard, brutal, the stuff of nightmares, not fairytales with their phoney promises of happily-ever-after.

"I have another nephew. Who'd have thought it, huh?" Paige's smile was warm and genuine as she looked at her tense whitelighter with new eyes.

Tired and emotional, Chris's breath caught in his throat at his aunt's gentle statement, while his green eyes filled with involuntary tears.

Rubbing his hand soothingly up and down his son's spine, trying to keep him calm, Future Leo looked gratefully over at his sister-in-law, thankful that someone had chosen to say something positive. Chris's eyes turned to his mother then though, and his father groaned inwardly, fearing what would happen next.

He always knew this would be hard for Piper to take in, suddenly discovering that she had another child out of the blue like this. Her reaction could cause untold damage to their son's fragile psyche though, and he just hoped that she didn't inadvertently break the boy's heart as she came to terms with the discovery that she was a mother twice over. The fact that she was still frozen in open-mouthed shock didn't bode well however.

Piper couldn't speak, couldn't move – Chris was her son? No, no, that couldn't be right. Someone was playing a practical joke on her. That was it; it was all a stupid prank. Only it wasn't and she knew it. He has your colouring, Leo's eyes, her mind screeched at her, forcing her to see what was right in front of her face. It was all too much to take in though; she was not ready for this. Wyatt was enough of a handful, how was she going to cope with bringing up two magical children?

_Oh God, he's looking at me. What to say, what to say?_

Still numb with shock, Piper opened her mouth and said the first thing that came into her head. "Cookies! You want some cookies? I made them this morning," she stuttered, knowing that she sounded like gibbering idiot, but unable to stop the cringe-worthy words from escaping her lips.

"W-what?" Chris stared at her incredulously, and then flickered a confused glance at his father.

Future Leo patted him reassuringly on the back. "Just go with it, son," he gently encouraged, relieved that Piper hadn't out and out rejected their boy. The fact that she wanted to feed him was a good sign, at least he hoped it was.

"Erm, okay," Chris agreed, taking his father's advice. "Double chocolate chip?" he asked expectantly.

"Ahh - a nephew after my own heart," Phoebe cut in then, her voice vibrating with friendly warmth.

Chris shot her a small smile. "The double chocolate chip king and queen," he said softly, briefly meeting her gaze before shyly looking away.

Phoebe smiled, liking the sound of that. Gazing at Chris, she just knew he had to rival Wyatt for cuteness as a little boy. Having another nephew was a good thing, she decided. Now she just had to get used to the fact that he was six foot and twenty-one already.

"Okay," Piper said, clapping her hands together, suddenly all business. "Everybody into the kitchen."

Doing as they were ordered, they all made their way through to the other room, where they stood around exchanging awkward glances as Piper bustled about, sorting out drinks for everyone. When she presented Chris with a huge glass of milk, rather than a mug of coffee like everyone else, his eyes widened comically, but he didn't protest. It was an acknowledgement of sorts, and there was something decidedly comforting about it.

He wasn't stupid; he knew that his bombshell had been of the nuclear variety, and that it would take time for the dust to settle. While they were his family, in some ways they weren't. They didn't know him, not really. That knowledge didn't make the situation any easier to deal with though – logic went out the window where love was concerned.

"This _is_ a good reaction, isn't it?" he murmured to his father under his breath. He thought it was, but he wasn't entirely sure, being distinctly on the insecure side where this timeline's Piper was concerned.

Future Leo chuckled. "She's feeding you, that's always a good thing. Your Mom doesn't force food down just anybody's throat, you know."

"And what about you?" Chris asked, nodding over at Present Leo, who sat at the table with baby Wyatt in his lap, looking like he'd just received a two thousand volt shock.

"Umm – that's about what I'd expect. Instant grown-up sons are a big deal. Just give them both some time to get their heads around it, okay? My brain will probably start working properly again in an hour or so, I should think."

"Double chocolate chip."

Chris jumped a mile as Piper thrust a plate of cookies under his nose. "Umm thanks," he said, taking one.

His mother tapped the side of his glass with her finger. "Drink up," she instructed.

Chris obediently put the tumbler to his lips and took a big gulp of his drink and a bite out of his cookie. Piper nodded in satisfaction, and then continued to hand around the cookies to the gathered throng.

Once everyone was fed, she looked about for something else to do. Keeping busy would stop her having to think about… Oh God, she had another son. _Chris _was her son. He had come here to save his brother, not his friend. He had done all this for Wyatt, for his family.

It was that thought that finally broke through the haze of self-protective denial fogging Piper's brain. "Why Chris?" she asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Her son looked confused, startled by the unexpected question aimed his way.

Future Leo had quickly followed his wife's convoluted thought processes though. "It was my father's name," he explained.

Piper nodded. "It's a nice name," she decided. She looked directly at Chris then, her motherly instincts kicking in when she saw the look of shy vulnerability on his face.

"I'm sorry," she said, moving forward and reaching out to gently touch his hand. "This is just a lot for me to take in."

"I know. I don't expect you to… well…" Chris broke off and waved his hand between them to illustrate the point that he couldn't articulate in words.

Piper nodded in understanding. "Let's just take things one day at a time, shall we?"

Chris smiled, a wave of relief running through him. "I can do that."

"Good, that's settled then," Piper said, returning his smile and lightly squeezing his hand. "So, do you want another cookie?"

Twinkling orb sounds answered her question and she span around just in time to see two cookies disappear from one of the plates in a swirl of blue lights. "Paige!" she scolded sharply.

"Hey! I didn't do anything." Her sister replied, holding up her empty hands as evidence.

"Err, Piper," Phoebe pointed to the blond little boy in his father's lap, who was munching happily on one of the stolen cookies, the other held tightly in his grasp.

Piper's eyes widened. "Wyatt!"

Future Leo began to laugh, amused by the shocked expression on her face. "You'd better get used to it," he warned. "They both have stealing cookies down to a fine art in the future."

"Both of them?" Piper looked over at Chris, who was looking guilty and rather contrite.

"I think you'd better show her," Future Leo said to him.

Throwing his father a reproachful look, Chris made a small come-hither gesture with his fingers and a cookie flew off the plate and directly into his waiting hand. Lifting it to his mouth, he took a deliberate bite, his teeth sinking into the chocolate-y goodness. Phoebe and Paige started to giggle, while Penny and Patty smiled indulgently.

Piper looked between her two sons, then shook her head in exasperation. "You two will be the death of me," she said, not realising for a second the devastating impact her innocent words would have.

The glass of milk smashed to the ground, spewing creamy liquid across the floor. Chris went pale and he staggered backwards, his haunted eyes going to a place just beyond her, seeing something that wasn't there, but which was obviously very real to him. He stood his ground for a brief instant, and then pushed past his aunts and ran out into the back yard, where he could be heard retching, a few moments later.

"I was the one," Piper said, turning her gaze on the future version of her husband as the truth slowly dawned. He was pale and frozen in shock, grief etched on his face for all to see.

"Yes," was his quiet reply.

"He… he was there when I…?"

The Elder nodded and a horrified sound escaped the back of Piper's throat. "And… and Wyatt?"

Future Leo hesitated, not knowing quite what to say. "Umm – he was there but he was… unaware, unconscious… until afterwards."

"It was because of me - Wyatt turning, wasn't it? I was responsible."

"No, no, Piper – you can't think like that. The evil, it was there before you…"

"This is what you meant though, when you said that they didn't pull the trigger until he was sixteen. I was the trigger, wasn't I?"

Unfortunately, there was only one available answer to her anguished question. "Yes."

"Oh, oh God!" Piper's hands rose to cover her mouth and her sisters immediately rushed over to comfort her.

"It's okay honey," Paige said, wrapping her arms around Piper's waist and resting her chin on her shoulder. "We'll stop it, we will."

"Yes," Phoebe tearfully agreed, completing the three-way embrace as she too wrapped her arms around her elder sister. "Nothing's going to happen to you or Wyatt. We're not going to let it, you hear?"

As he observed the unconditional love and support that existed between the three sisters, Future Leo forcibly shook himself out of his frozen stupor. What the hell was he doing? His boy was in pain and he was just standing here, while Chris was out there all alone and suffering.

"I'm sorry, I have to… Chris," he said, heading for the open door in search of his son.

With tears in his eyes, Leo cuddled Wyatt close to him, struggling to take in the horrible reality of their future. The baby started to cry, unsettled by the tense atmosphere in the room. As he rocked the little boy in his arms, trying to soothe him, Leo's eyes strayed to the open door and his thoughts immediately turned to his other son. My God, what the poor boy must have been through. It didn't bear thinking about.

Something inside of Leo clicked into place and he rose to his feet, quietly handing Wyatt to his grandmother before making his way outside.

In the backyard, Chris was pacing round and round in circles, swiping angrily at the tears streaming down his cheeks, while his future self stood to one side, deep concern written all over his face as he watched their son's agitated distress.

"We could cast a spell," the young whitelighter was saying. "Like what Wyatt cast on me. We could make them forget. They wouldn't have to know – about me, about anything. We could make them forget."

Future Leo shook his head and reached out to grab his son's forearms, halting his restless movements. "Chris no."

"Why not?"

"Because I have to go back to the future in a couple of days, and I'm not leaving you alone to deal with all of this."

"I'll be all right. I was fine before you came to visit."

"Were you? Were you really?"

Chris ignored the question. "It's not right. They shouldn't have to know, not yet. That's why I didn't say anything in the first place. We should cast the spell; make them forget any of this ever happened."

"No," Present Leo said firmly, finally making his presence known. "Your father is right, _I'm_ right. This is not for you to carry alone."

Pulling out of Future Leo's grasp, Chris turned to look at him, his green eyes full of fear and self-loathing. "But… but what if she hates me?"

"What if who hates you?"

"Mom," was the whitelighter's unexpected reply.

Present Leo looked over at his future self, and saw that the man was as shocked as he was. "I don't understand. Why would Piper hate you?"

"Because I couldn't save her," Chris burst out in anguish. "I tried to but I couldn't… And Wyatt, it wouldn't have happened if she… It's all my fault. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. It's all my fault."

With that, Chris buried his face in his hands and started to orb out, unable to face what he mistakenly perceived as his father's disgust…

_**To be continued…**_

P.S. Stony Angel : Re: the last part and Chris not being affected by the arrow that hit Piper. If she was pregnant, the poison would have directly affected the baby, and therefore him. However, I figured that as Chris hasn't been conceived yet, he would only be affected if Piper was in danger of dying and his actual existence was threatened. In this case though, she wasn't so Chris was unaffected. Hope that makes some sort of sense.


	9. Nobody's Fault

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hello, me again. Not that much action in this part, mainly because it's the set up for the next chapter. However, there should be plenty of character moments to keep you happy – I hope:-) Please read and review.

Also, I'm moving house next week so they'll be a delay until I get organised at my new place. I'm hoping to post one more part before I move, but I might not manage it, so the delay could come after this one instead. I will be back with an update as soon as I can.

* * *

**_Last time..._**

Present Leo looked over at his future self, and saw that the man was as shocked as he was. "I don't understand. Why would Piper hate you?"

"Because I couldn't save her," Chris burst out in anguish. "I tried to but I couldn't… And Wyatt, it wouldn't have happened if she… It's all my fault. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry. It's all my fault."

With that, Chris buried his face in his hands and started to orb out, unable to face what he mistakenly perceived as his father's disgust…

**Chapter 9**

"Whoa!" Both Leo's made a grab for Chris's orb cloud, easily preventing him from escaping between them.

"Just go, let me deal with this," Future Leo said to his past self, catching his son as he stumbled and fell, unbalanced by having his orb so abruptly interrupted. "This is my responsibility."

"He's my son too," Present Leo retorted, stubbornly standing his ground and refusing to leave.

"Yes, I know. But you can't possibly understand what he's going through - you weren't there."

"Yeah well, neither were you by the sound of things. Tell me – exactly where were you when our family was being torn apart?"

"Don't you lecture me! You haven't got the slightest idea what you're talking about."

"I wouldn't have failed my family so miserably, I know that."

"Sorry _Leo_, but whatever responsibility is mine is yours too. We're one of the same whether you like it or not."

Just as their pointless bickering threatened to spiral out of control, an agonized plea from Chris brought them both sharply to their senses. "Stop it! Please just stop it!" he cried.

As his future counterpart quickly turned towards their son, Present Leo reluctantly stepped back, knowing, deep down, that he wasn't the best one to deal with the situation. He watched as his other self reached out and cupped Chris's tear-stained face between his palms, forcing the young whitelighter to look at him.

"Listen to me, okay?" Future Leo said gently. "You were not responsible for what happened to your Mom – or your brother for that matter. It wasn't your fault.You're a victim in all of this, just like the rest of us. More so even - you were only fourteen years old, for god's sake, hardly more than a child."

"I tried to save her, I did."

"I know you did, son. I know you did."

Future Leo's voice cracked as the full horror of that terrible day overwhelmed him for the first time in a very long while. So much had happened since then and he'd had to keep it together for the sake of his sons, his sister-in-laws, everyone in fact. Consequently, he'd not allowed himself to dwell too much on the event that had sparked off all subsequent happenings, because he knew that if he did, it would bring him to his knees.

Blinking back the tears, he stepped forward and drew his son into a comforting hug. Chris slumped against him, weeping in broken-hearted anguish as all the guilt and self-recrimination that he'd harboured since his mother's death rushed out of him in a raging torrent of pain.

"Ssh, it's okay. It's wasn't your fault, it's wasn't your fault," Future Leo murmured reassuringly, rubbing a soothing hand up and down his son's back as the young man sobbed in his arms.

Present Leo watched the scene with tears in his eyes. His future self was right – he didn't know what they were going through but he could imagine easily enough. The thought of losing Piper filled him with fear beyond which he'd never known. It wasn't going to happen, he vowed; he wouldn't let it happen.

"Hey."

Leo jumped as he felt a warm hand on his arm. Turning around, he looked down into Piper's pain-filled brown eyes, the anguish therein a mirror of his own. Wrapping a hand around the back of her head, he tugged his beautiful wife into his arms and buried his face in her sweet-smelling hair.

"Err, Leo – breathing would be good," the brunette witch protested, even though she was clinging to him just as tightly.

After dropping a kiss on the top of her head, Leo released her and stepped back. "I'm sorry, it's just, you know."

"I'm not going to leave my children motherless," Piper said with steely determination in her voice. She glanced over at the future version of her husband and her adult son, who were still lost in their shared grief.

"Is he all right? Chris, I mean," she asked softly.

"He thinks you're gonna hate him."

"What? I would never… Why would he think that?"

"Because your death was the trigger that turned Wyatt, and he couldn't save you. I guess he thinks you'll blame him for Wyatt's loss."

"But… but that's crazy."

"I know. I can understand how he could twist everything around in his head and arrive at that conclusion though. We have to be talking about one of the most traumatic events in his life, Piper."

The eldest Charmed One nodded and then hurried across the yard towards her youngest son. When he felt her familiar touch on his arm, Chris pulled away from his father and looked at her warily, fear darkening his eyes to a bottle green colour. Piper's heart immediately went out to him and she reached out to take his hands in hers.

"Listen to me," she said. "I know I can't be the Mom you knew, but I hope you'll let me try at least. I wasn't that bad at the job, was I?"

"No, no, of course not. You were the best."

"Then why would you think that I could ever hate you? It doesn't matter that I don't really know you yet - you're my son and I'm destined to love you. It's what mothers do."

"But I let Wyatt…"

"No," Piper placed two fingers over Chris's lips. "Whatever happened to Wyatt was set in motion in this time and place, not fifteen years in the future. It can't possibly be your fault; you don't even exist yet."

"Your Mom's right, Chris," Future Leo said, reaching out to squeeze his son's shoulder. "By then, it was too late to stop it happening - Wyatt was already lost, we just didn't know it."

Although Chris could see the logic in his parent's argument, it didn't really stop the guilt, he wasn't sure anything would. Nevertheless, Piper's gentle reassurances had allayed his fears about her rejecting him and that was a significant load off his mind. He couldn't have coped if she'd reacted badly to the truth about his identity. He was emotionally strong - most of the time anyway – he'd had to be. But that would have been too much to handle, even for him.

Drawing in a deep breath, he closed his eyes and tried to get his tumultuous emotions back in check, while his parents looked on in concern. Focusing on the warmth of Piper's hands in his helped Chris pull himself together, and he subsequently opened his eyes much more in control of himself.

"I need to go clean up," he said, his voice stronger and steadier in tone.

Piper nodded. "Okay, and then we'll talk."

"Talk about what?" Chris asked, immediately panicked by the idea. "You know I can't tell you too much about the future," he warned her for the umpteenth time.

Piper rolled her eyes. "Relax - I just want to get to know you a bit better, that's all. Find out what your favourite colour is, what movies you like, what you like to eat, that sort of thing."

"Oh," A beat then, "I suppose that's okay."

"Good, glad to hear it." Piper smiled, reached up, and lightly stroked her son's cheek with her fingertips. "I think we've had enough of the heavy stuff for today, don't you? Let's just take some time out and relax a little, shall we?"

Feeling less awkward, Chris nodded, shyly returning her smile before he docilely allowed her to lead him back into the house.

"Wait!" Present Leo reached out to stop his future self as he made a move to follow Piper and Chris inside. "I need to know what happened," he said, when Future Leo looked at him enquiringly.

His other self sighed and sat down in one of the garden chairs, his head bowed and his eyes studying his hands. "I'll tell you what I know, but it isn't much. Chris was the main witness and he was too traumatised to speak of the details. I guess I should have pushed harder – I had no idea that he blamed himself for everything."

"Why didn't you? Push him to talk about it, I mean." Present Leo asked, sitting in a chair alongside his future counterpart.

"Because he got so upset whenever I tried; he completely retreated inside of himself for a long time after Piper's death. Trying to get him to talk about what happened was doing him more harm than good, so I let things be. Then later on, when he probably was ready to talk, Wyatt's memory spell put this huge barrier between us. He didn't trust me enough to confide in me. He would barely even speak to me most of the time."

Present Leo nodded. "So tell me what happened."

"You need to understand – the attack, it came totally out of the blue. There was no warning, nothing, which I guess was precisely the point. It all happened so fast; non of us had any time to react. If we'd been even remotely prepared, they never would have succeeded."

Future Leo paused to gather his thoughts and then continued with his emotionally painful narrative. "It was just a normal day, you see. The four of us – Piper, the boys and I - we were about to sit down to lunch, when these four demons shimmered in, taking us completely by surprise. They each had their own target; two of them dealt with Wyatt and me, another sent Chris flying out into the hallway, and the last one… the last one stabbed Piper in the back with an athame. And then they just shimmered out again."

"What do you mean 'dealt with Wyatt and me'?"

"They threw a potion at us - a sleeping potion. It put us both out for several hours."

"So neither of you could heal Piper."

"Exactly. The plan was simple and yet so horribly effective."

"What about Chris? Why didn't he call for help?"

"He did but nobody heard him, and he couldn't get out. They put a magical shield around the Manor and trapped us all inside until Piper was gone."

Leo looked at his future self in open-mouthed horror. "How long was Chris…?"

"I was the first to wake and that was four hours later. Whatever happened in those intervening hours is still locked inside Chris's memory. I know Piper didn't die straight away, but how long she lasted and how long he sat with her dead body, I don't know. He did try desperately to save her though – there was evidence of that all around. The Book of Shadows was downstairs and the cupboards were emptied of all magical supplies. Nearly every window in the house was smashed as well - I think he tried to break his way out when he found that he couldn't orb."

Present Leo shook his head. "Poor kid – no wonder he's so fixated on saving Wyatt."

"That's what worries me," Future Leo said. "It's turning into an out-and-out obsession with him. Saving Wyatt is important, but I don't want it to be at Chris's expense. That gains us nothing. Promise me you'll keep an eye on him after I go back to the future. Make sure he takes proper care of himself, and don't let him do anything stupid."

Present Leo nodded solemnly. "I promise. You needn't worry too much – once she's gotten used to the idea, Piper is probably going to mother the poor boy to distraction. Chris's status has changed whether he likes it or not."

Future Leo laughed, despite his heavy heart. "I imagine it'll probably comfort and frustrate him in equal measure," he said sagely. "It'll do him good to be surrounded by family again though. That's something that's been missing from his life for far too long."

Both of them were silent for a moment, each lost in their own thoughts, and then Present Leo spoke up. "I'm sorry I yelled at you before – it was kind of dumb really."

"What because you were essentially yelling at yourself? Don't worry about it – you weren't saying anything I haven't already said to myself at some point since all this began."

"We will save him, you know. Wyatt, I mean," Present Leo said. "I'll do everything possible to protect him – and Chris – I swear."

His future counterpart nodded. "Let's hope that's enough," he replied.

**

* * *

**

Several hours later, Future Leo found himself out in the back garden again. It was dark now and the sweet smell of honeysuckle and jasmine hung heavy in the night air.

True to her word, Piper had deliberately kept the mood of the rest of the day relaxed and light-hearted. Aided and abetted by her sisters, mother, and grandmother, she had subtly drawn Chris out of his protective shell and got him to open up about himself. As Penny and Patty were to return to the afterlife in the morning, they were all determined to make the most of the time that they had together.

Leo had mostly sat on the sidelines, watching the healing effect that this family time had on his youngest son. The dark cloud of tension that usually hung over Chris lifted as he relaxed in the company of the people he loved. For a few short hours, the young witch-whitelighter was able to forget about the nightmarish reality of his future life, and simply bask in the warm glow of his family's affection again.

Leo was immensely relieved that the secret of Chris's identity was finally out in the open. Although going back to the future would still feel as if he was abandoning his son, at least he knew that he'd be well taken care of now. The girls wouldn't allow Chris to isolate himself again, and that could only be a good thing as far as his worried father was concerned.

"Hot chocolate?"

Startled out of his reverie, Future Leo turned to find Piper standing behind him, offering him a steaming mug of hot chocolate, made just the way he liked it.

"Thanks," he said, gratefully taking the drink from her and sipping at the sweet, creamy liquid.

Piper sat down beside him on the bench, filling his senses with her comforting presence. The aroma of her light, flowery perfume surrounded him, and tears pricked at the back of his eyes at the aching familiarity of it. She had been missing from his life for such a long time, and now here she was – the living, breathing woman of his heart. Without thinking, he reached out and took her hand, needing to feel the touch of her skin on his.

Piper tensed a little but she didn't pull away. Leo shot her a small smile, understanding her confusion. "Weird huh?"

"Yeah – I know you're Leo but in lots of ways you're a stranger to me. And then there's my time's Leo…"

"Don't worry; I don't expect anything more than this, Piper. I know that you belong with the past version of me. My wife has fifteen years of shared experience on you; she's the one I need beside me."

"Only she's not with you, is she?"

"In spirit she is," Leo said sadly, "Even if she's not in reality."

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"Dying, I guess. For leaving you alone to cope with all of this – with Wyatt, with Chris…"

"It's not your fault. And they're my sons, doing everything in my power to protect them is just inbuilt."

"Even if Wyatt is…what he is?"

"Yes. I know I'm probably fighting a losing battle - in my time at least anyway -Wyatt's in too deep to extract now. The only way to save him is to stop whatever got to him in the first place. I can't - I won't - give up on him though, Piper. I don't know how to."

"We will save him," Piper vowed. "I promise - for both our son's sakes."

In response, Leo lifted their joined hands to his lips and brushed a soft, gentle kiss over the backs of her fingers. "Where is Chris by the way?" he asked when he released her hand.

"Oh, I sent him to bed. He looked absolutely worn out."

"Hardly surprising, it's been an emotional couple of days for him," Leo said, and then a worrying thought struck him. "He's not alone at P3, is he?"

"No." Piper shook her head. "I've put Wyatt's cot in with me and Leo, so Chris can stay in the nursery."

Leo nodded, relieved. "Good."

"Why are you so concerned where he sleeps?"

Leo didn't know whether he should answer, but he knew Piper wouldn't let it go if he didn't. "Because I imagine the nightmares will be back again tonight."

"Nightmares?" Piper was puzzled.

"Flashbacks is probably a more accurate term."

"You mean of me, don't you?"

"Of the day we lost you, yes. Chris saw it all you see. He had nightmares for months afterwards; it got to the point where he was afraid to go to sleep most nights. Eventually he found a way to deal with them, but they still come back to haunt him from time to time. Today's events will more than likely trigger a recurrence, and he shouldn't be alone if that happens. He's usually pretty hysterical when he comes out of it."

"God," Piper said, closing her eyes in reaction. "How did everything get so messed up?"

"I wish I knew, Piper, I really do. That's the hardest thing, the not knowing, it makes you feel so helpless, so powerless to do anything."

"There were good times though, weren't there?" Piper asked almost desperately.

"Of course there was. We had our ups and downs like most families, but for the most part, we were very happy. Why do think Chris is trying so hard to save his brother? It's because our family is something worth fighting for. Wyatt may be evil now, but he wasn't always that way. He was a good boy before all this happened."

With tears in her eyes, Piper leaned over and softly kissed his cheek. "Thank you."

"For what?"

"I think I needed to know that it wasn't all bad."

"It wasn't, I promise," Leo told her sincerely.

"We have one very brave son, don't we?"

Leo nodded. "Yes, we do, and I think you can take a lot of credit for that. You were – are – a good Mom, Piper, don't ever think that you're not. Chris surprised me actually, how he dealt with everything. Wyatt was always the more dominant of the two. Not that Chris was weak; he just lacked his brother's ambition. He was perfectly content to stay in the background. And yet, he didn't cave when Wyatt pressurised him into joining him. That took a lot of strength."

"Maybe he takes after you."

"What?"

"Well, you're passive for the most part, but you sure as hell come out fighting when you have to."

Leo smiled. "Yeah, I guess I…" he started to reply, then suddenly became distracted by something Piper couldn't hear.

"What is it?" she asked urgently.

"Chris. I should go check on him. I think it's started." Leo said, getting to his feet.

"He called for you?"

"Not exactly. I can feel his distress."

"You're empathic now?"

"No, not really, it's just an extension of my sensing power. It only works with my children, sometimes with you and your sisters as well. I don't need you to call me by name anymore; I just know that my family needs me."

Piper stood up. "I'm coming with you," she said, holding out her hand towards him.

Future Leo nodded, and orbed them both upstairs to the nursery. Chris was asleep, but it was obvious that his slumber was disturbed. He was tossing and turning against the pillow, murmuring unintelligibly under his breath as his subconscious mind took him back to that terrible day when his whole life had fallen apart…

_**To be continued…**_


	10. Nightmares

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hiya! My move went well, but there's a delay with getting the phone-line fitted, which means I'm internet-less for another couple of weeks (grr). I'm only going to be able to post when I can manage to get over to my parent's house therefore (where I am now). Sorry, but there will be more delays until I get things sorted.

On a brighter note, I can still write, so hopefully there'll be plenty of updates to post when I do finally get properly back online :-)

Anyway, here's the next part for you. Hope you enjoy and thankyou for all the lovely reviews so far. Warning: this is not a happy chapter…

**Chapter 10**

At first, Chris was observing events from the outside as if he was watching a TV show. Everything was just so normal, they were simply a family going about their daily business and interacting with each other along the way. His mind was screaming at him, telling him that there was something very wrong, but he couldn't remember what it was. He should be warning them, he knew, but about what he didn't have a clue.

Suddenly his perspective shifted and he found himself looking out through his past self's eyes.

_Oh God! No! Not again, please not again!_ he silently pleaded, seconds before his memory completely left him and he became fully immersed in the person he used to be - the fourteen year old boy who was totally oblivious to the tragedy about to befall him and his family…

* * *

"Wyatt, come and help your brother set the table please. Lunch is nearly ready." 

"'Kay, Mom. Be there in a minute," Wyatt yelled from the other room.

"No actually you'll be here now," Piper called back to her son, her tone stern. There was a flurry of blue orbs and Wyatt obediently appeared in the kitchen next to Chris.

"Is it really necessary to orb everywhere?" she asked him with a sigh. "Don't you have legs?"

"But you said I had to come straightaway," Wyatt replied, all wide-eyed innocence.

Chris began to laugh, but quickly stifled his amusement when his mother's unwavering gaze turned on him. "Was there something funny?"

"No, no Mom, I was just… I'll set the table." Lowering his head, Chris hurried over to retrieve the soup spoons from the cultery drawer, wisely removing himself from the firing line.

His mother turned back to her impudent elder son. "Don't be smart, mister."

"Yes Mom."

"And don't you encourage him either," Piper added, pointing an accusing finger at her husband, who was trying to hide his smile behind his hand.

"Yes Mom." Leo replied solemnly, an answer which caused both his sons to erupt into delighted laughter.

At first, Piper looked steadily at her grinning husband, her expression frosty, but then she gave in with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. "Boys," she lamented playfully. "Why did I have to have boys?"

"Hey!" The indignant protest came from both her teenage sons and she smiled.

"Don't worry – Mommy loves you really," she said, reaching out and affectionately ruffling their hair as they passed on the way to the table. She leaned forward and planted a warm kiss on their cheeks as she did so. Her boys wrinkled their noses in disgust at her actions, both being of an age where being overly mothered was definitely not cool.

"Err Mom!" came from her youngest, whereas "Hey, watch the hair!" was her eldest's grumble.

Piper didn't care though, they were her babies and she'd hug and kiss them all she liked. While she was proud that they were both growing up into fine young men, she missed the uninhibited affection that they used to bestow on her as small children. Learning to let go and allowing them to find their own path in life was tough, but if she was to do her job as their mother properly, then it was something that she had to do.

With a soft sigh of regret, she turned back to the stove and began to serve up the soup that she'd heated up for lunch, while the boys finished setting the table. It was just after she handed the plate of accompanying sandwiches to Leo that the attack occurred. It came without warning and she was completely unprepared for it.

Chris looked up from the table as the demon shimmered in behind his Mom, but his shout of warning was cut off when he was grabbed from behind and hurled bodily into the other room. His head hit the wall with a resounding crack and he blacked out for a minute. When he came to, the demons were gone and the house was eerily quiet, the playful bantering of a few moments earlier silenced forever.

Scrambling to his feet, he rushed back into the kitchen, his heart thumping wildly in growing anxiety. His Dad and older brother were slumped on the floor by the table, but had no visible injuries as far as Chris could tell. Strangely, they both appeared to be sound asleep, their chests moving up and down in the measured cadence of peaceful slumber.

A soft moan from behind the kitchen counter spurred Chris into movement again. "Mom!" he said, getting to his feet and hurrying to her side. As he rounded the corner, the horrific scene that greeted him stopped him in his tracks. It was an image that would be imprinted on his memory for the rest of his life.

Piper lay slumped against one of the kitchen cupboards, a dark red pool of blood slowly gathering underneath her. Her skin was grey, her lips blue, and her deep brown eyes open wide and filled with terror. Chris could clearly see the athame lodged in her side, while the steady drip, drip of her blood resounded loudly in his ears.

"No, Mom!" he breathed in horror, falling to his knees beside her, heedless of the warm, sticky blood seeping into the material of his jeans and staining his skin.

"Chris," Piper croaked, struggling to remain calm for her son's sake. "Sweetie – are you okay? And Wyatt? Your Dad?"

"I'm okay," Chris quickly reassured her. "Dad and Wyatt too – I think they're asleep."

"Sleeping potion," Piper guessed, sighing in relief. She had been scared that the bottles of potion, which had felled her husband and eldest son, had been something more sinister.

Curling her fingers around the athame's handle, she proceeded to tug the dagger free from her body, but couldn't prevent the sharp cry of pain that left her lips as a result. The tears overflowed down Chris's cheeks as the full horror of the situation hit him like a ton of bricks.

"I'll get help," he said, rising to his feet. "Auntie Paige and Phoebe will know what to do. They'll know how to wake Dad and Wyatt so they can heal you."

He tried to orb out of the house, but was prevented from doing so by an invisible barrier that forced him to amalgamate back into his solid form. Closing his eyes and clenching his fists, he tried again, only to fall to the floor gasping, the wind knocked out of him.

"Chris honey – what's wrong?"

"I can't get out!"

Running into the hallway, Chris tried the front door, but it wouldn't budge. It was stuck fast, seemingly super-glued into its frame. Rushing back into the kitchen, he frenetically emptied one of the cupboards until he found his baseball bat, and then ran though into the Conservatory.

He swung the bat with all his might at one of the windows and succeeded in cracking the pane. The shattered glass didn't fall in on itself though; it remained intact inside the frame, held together by an unseen force. Chris tried again with another window, but the same thing happened.

With panic rising inside of him, he took the stairs, two at a time, and attempted to shatter the bedroom windows as well, all to no avail. Finally, after ascending yet another staircase, he swung the bat at the attic's stained glass windows. However, even when he added the weight of his telekinesis power behind the blow, the windows just wouldn't break and he fell to his knees sobbing in anguish.

"Please somebody help me," he cried, lifting his face to the ceiling. "All you Elders and whitelighters out there – please, somebody help, please!"

There was no response. Chris's sensing power was still developing, but he couldn't hear anything and suspected that nobody could hear him either. He was trapped inside the Manor with no means of escape, and no way of getting help for his fatally injured mother.

Hefting the Book of Shadows up into his arms, he orbed back downstairs, dropped the huge volume on the table, and then knelt down next to his father and brother. He shook them frantically, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Please Dad, Wyatt – you have to wake up, you have to wake up. Please!"

* * *

Piper jumped as Chris's plaintive pleas for his father and brother to wake up burst forth from the unintelligible sounds that he had been muttering in his sleep up until now. 

"Shouldn't we wake him up?" she asked Future Leo worriedly, her forehead creasing in concern.

Leo shook his head. "No, I used to do that and it totally freaked him out. He can't distinguish reality from his dream if you force him out of it before his mind is ready. As awful as it sounds, it's best just to let him come out of it naturally."

Piper nodded and knelt down next to the bed to wait it out. Reaching over Chris's restlessly tossing form, she tenderly brushed away a stray lock of hair from his sweat-dampened forehead. Her son lifted his hand off the mattress, seemingly in response to her gentle caress. However, moments later, she felt a stinging slap across her cheek, despite the fact that he hadn't touched her.

"Oww!" she protested, her hand going to her burning face.

"Sorry about that," Leo said. "I should have warned you. His TK power goes a bit haywire when he's dreaming like this. I think he's projecting what's happening in his subconscious out into reality."

"Dad! Please wake up, please!"

Tears filled Piper's eyes as her son began to cry pitifully in his sleep. She wanted to climb inside his head and make everything all right, but she knew she couldn't. The only thing she could do was wait until he woke up from his nightmare, and then attempt to comfort him if that was possible…

* * *

Not knowing what else to do, Chris slapped his father hard across the face, desperately trying to awaken him. Leo however, didn't even stir, just carried on snoring, oblivious to the horror that was going on around him. 

"Dad! Please wake up, please!" Chris pleaded before he completely broke down, his sobs hiccupping in the back of his throat.

At the sound of her son's distress, Piper roused herself out of her pain-filled haze and called out to him. "Sweetie, come here," she whispered, her voice faint and shaky.

Choking back his tears, Chris rushed to her side. She was deathly pale and the breath was rattling in her chest as she struggled to draw air into her punctured lungs. Holding his hands out over her wound, he desperately tried to heal her – he was half-whitelighter, he should be able to heal. Why couldn't he heal, dammit?

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it won't work. I can't do it," he cried out in broken-heartened anguish, starting to cry again.

"Ssh honey, ssh. It's okay, it's okay."

"No it's not! I can't get out and nobody can hear me calling."

Ice-cold fear ran through Piper's veins at that, and it was then that she knew. She was going to die, murdered in her own home by god knows who, for god knows what purpose. Worse still, her beloved son was going to play witness to the whole event and be powerless to help her. She dreaded to think what effect that would have on him in later life.

"Maybe I could make a potion to wake Dad and Wyatt up," Chris said desperately, scrambling to his feet once more. "Or find a spell to break down the mystical barrier around the house."

Piper opened her mouth to protest but then closed it again, figuring that she had to let him do all he could to help her. She knew he would never forgive himself if he didn't. She had the horrible feeling that it would take the Power of Three to countermand both the sleeping potion and the barrier spell though.

This was the work of a powerful upper level demon; it had to be. Nothing else could have executed such an efficient attack on a Charmed One and her magically gifted family. She, her husband and their two sons were a force to be reckoned with, after all.

As Chris frantically searched through the Book of Shadows for something to help, Piper struggled valiantly to stay conscious, knowing that once she succumbed to the darkness encroaching her, she probably wouldn't wake up again. She was only dimly aware as her son anxiously attempted to help her with a variety of different spells and potions therefore.

When all of his increasingly desperate attempts to save her came to nought, Chris telekinetically hurled the small metal cauldron against the wall with a howl of frustration. "Work dammit!" he cried, then buried his face in his hands and began to sob uncontrollably.

Piper started to cough, her lungs heaving painfully as they attempted to expel the fluid, which was cutting off her air supply. The edges of her vision were starting to turn grey and she could feel the life-force slowly draining out of her. Tasting the copper tang of blood in her mouth, she instinctively knew that she didn't have much time left.

"Honey stop. It's no use," she whispered, as Chris partially regained his shattered composure and started to flick through the Book of Shadows again.

"No, no, no – don't say that, don't say that. You can hold on, you can."

As her son sank to his knees next to her, Piper reached up and cupped the side of his tear-smudged face in her hand. "Listen to me, sweetie. I love you so much – don't ever forget that okay? Even if I'm not here beside you anymore, I'll always be with you in spirit. I'm going to be watching over you every day of your life, I promise."

"Mom don't, you're not gonna die. You're gonna be okay, I know you're going to be okay." Even as the words left his lips, Chris knew that they were a lie. His mother's skin was cold and clammy, while the usually strong sense of her presence was gradually fading from his sensing radar.

Piper ignored his reassurances; there were things she needed to say before it was too late. "Tell your Dad and Wyatt that I love them," she continued, her voice weak and thready.

"And Paige and Phoebe too…," she added before a wracking coughing fit overcame her and sapped her dwindling strength. Exhausted, she closed her eyes but forced them open again at her son's panicked plea.

"No Mom, please don't go, please don't leave me, not yet, not yet."

Completely distraught, Chris buried his face against her shoulder, his bitter tears dampening her skin through the thin material of her blouse.

Piper's eyes filled with tears of regret - she didn't want to leave her sons motherless. She wanted to see them grow up, get married, have babies of their own. All of that was about to be snatched away from her though and there was nothing she could do to stave off the inevitable. Choking back her tears, she stroked her hand over Chris's dark hair and murmured soothingly to him, trying to cram a lifetimes worth of mothering into the few short minutes that she had left.

"Ssh sweetie, ssh. You have to be strong now. Be that brave young man that I know you are. I know it's hard to imagine, but even after terrible tragedy, the world keeps on turning. You have to make the most of every minute you have, because that's what life's all about – living it to the fullest, despite the obstacles thrown in your way."

"I don't want you to go. You can hold on – Dad and Wyatt will wake up soon, I know they will. I love you so much, Mom, please stay, please."

"Look at me, honey," Piper gently urged.

Chris dutifully did as she asked, raising his head and looking down into his mother's familiar brown eyes. His face was pale, his green eyes filled to the brim with the tears that refused to stop falling. Using every ounce of strength that she had left in her, Piper brushed his dark hair off his forehead, and then cupped his beloved face between her palms.

"I love you more than you could possibly ever know," she said softly. "You and your brother – you're the best thing that I ever did with my life, and I've done a whole lot over the years as a Charmed One. Nothing compares to you two though, and I know you're going to go on and make me proud of you."

"I'll try, Mom, I'll try."

"I know you will, sweetie, because that's who you are - my very own Mr Tenacious." Piper replied with a smile before she pulled him close and fondly kissed him on the forehead.

"It's nearly time," she whispered, stroking the side of his face as her breathing started to become laboured.

"No, no – please no," Chris sobbed as her hand slipped from his cheek and fell limp by her side. He gathered her ice-cold hands in his and held on for dear life.

"I'm so sorry; I never meant to leave you or your brother so soon," Piper said, her voice so faint that Chris was forced to lean close to hear the words. "Tell everyone I'm sorry, and that I love them."

With that, her eyes fluttered closed and she finally slipped into unconsciousness. His heart pounding loudly in his ears, Chris held his breath and watched her chest slowly rise and fall in a faltering rhythm, until eventually it stopped. Moments later, her spirit disengaged from her body and he gazed up at his mother's filmy form in stunned disbelief, not wanting to accept that she was leaving him for good.

"I love you, my beautiful baby boy. Be strong and be happy," she said, her voice clear and bell-like. Chris felt a whisper of a kiss against his cheek, and then she was gone.

Hugging his knees to his chest, Chris began to rock back and forth, as a tidal wave of grief overwhelmed him. "No, no, no, this isn't happening. Please tell me this isn't happening, please."

* * *

"Mom!" 

Gasping for breath, Chris shot upright in bed, propelling himself out of his nightmare as the avalanche of sorrowful emotion became too much to handle.

"Ssh sweetie – I'm here, I'm here," Piper said, moving to take him in her arms. She was acting out of instinct, the awkwardness of a few hours earlier all but gone. Her son was hurting and comforting him was the only thing that mattered right now.

Chris clung to her as if his life depended on it. His Mom was here – warm and alive, not deathly cold and lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor. "Mom," he repeated, his voice breaking. "I tried to be brave; I tried to make you proud, I did, but everything went crazy after… Wyatt, he's not Wyatt anymore, and I'm so scared we'll never get him back."

Realising that he wasn't really talking to her, but rather the future version of herself, Piper turned her head and pressed a kiss to his temple. "We're going to get him back, I promise," she soothed. "You've been so brave coming here to warn us. We have a chance to save him now."

The last vestiges of sleep fell away from Chris at Piper's words and he quickly pulled away from her, finally recognising where he was. She might be here now, but he still had to go back to where she wasn't. He couldn't let himself get too close, no matter how much he wanted her comfort.

Piper looked confused and a little hurt at his abrupt withdrawal. Sensing Chris's dilemma - because in some ways it mirrored his own - Leo sat down opposite his wife and reached out to pat his son's shoulder.

"Listen to me, son. Wyatt isn't the only one that we're going to save."

Uncomfortable with the turn of the conversation, Chris looked down at the comforter. "I'm afraid to hope for that," he whispered.

"I know - me too. But you can't let that stop you from making the most of the time that you have now."

"Because that's what life's all about – living it to the fullest, despite the obstacles thrown in your way?"

"Exactly."

"That's what Mom said before she…" Chris broke off and bit his lip.

Leo's eyes widened - this was the first piece of information that Chris had ever offered about what had passed between himself and Piper that terrible day. "Maybe you should take her advice," he suggested softly.

Chris nodded and turned to Piper. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean… It's just so difficult to be near you sometimes."

Piper reached out and took his hand in hers. "I understand," she said quietly. "I lost my mother too, I know how it feels. We agreed to take things one day at a time though – let's just stick to that, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good. Now I think you should try to get some proper sleep. We can talk some more in the morning."

"Yes Mom," Chris said, automatically responding to her slightly peremptory tone.

Piper beamed at his unintentional use of the term 'Mom,' and Chris was embarrassed, despite knowing that he shouldn't be. She was still his mother, even if he hadn't been born yet. Snuggling back under the covers, he closed his eyes and was soon fast asleep, his slumber thankfully free of nightmares this time.

Piper gently tucked him back in and then got to her feet. "You're going to stay with him?" she asked the future version of her husband.

Leo nodded. "Yeah – he should be fine now though. The nightmares don't usually bother him more than once in a night. Besides, I think we had a breakthrough – I know he didn't say all that much, but he's never voluntarily spoken about what happened before."

"I hate that I'm the cause of all this pain."

"Piper, it's not your fault. And he only finds it so painful because he loves you so much."

Piper smiled shyly. "Really?"

"Yes really. Now go get some sleep – Chris isn't the only one who could use it, it's been a long day for all of us."

Piper crossed to Leo's side and pressed her warm lips to his cheek. "We will save our family," she vowed as she straightened up. "And make the future right again for our boys."

"God Piper, I really hope so," Future Leo replied, reaching out to squeeze her hand.

Piper returned the gesture, then let go of his fingers. "Goodnight," she said, turning towards the door.

"Goodnight," Leo answered quietly as he watched her leave.

Turning back to his son, he checked Chris was comfortable, and then settled himself on the couch, weary exhaustion overtaking him all of a sudden. He hoped to god that Piper was right; he desperately needed to believe that they would be able to change the future for the better right now. He missed the happy family that they used to be so much.

_**To be continued (probably not until next weekend though, I'm afraid)…**_


	11. Back to work

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! Sorry for the lengthy delay. I'm finally back online, so normal service should be resumed as of now :-) So on with the update…

**Chapter 11**

Despite his disturbed sleep, Chris woke early the following morning. Tiptoeing about the bedroom to avoid waking his slumbering father, he gathered some clean clothes before retreating into the bathroom to take a shower. Half an hour later, dressed in dark blue jeans and an emerald-green t-shirt, he made his way downstairs and went in search of food.

He was the first one up. The kitchen was quiet and Chris was grateful for the peace after the hectic nature of the previous day. As much as he loved his family, he needed time away from them every now and again. Over the past few months, he'd gotten used to his own company. It had been lonely at times for sure, but he had also learned to appreciate the solitude.

After making himself a cup of coffee, Chris pottered about the kitchen, preparing his breakfast. He smiled with amusement as he realised that his mother's cupboards were arranged exactly the same as they were ten years into the future. Although she'd be the first to deny it, Piper could be set in her ways sometimes.

He made himself a hearty meal of scrambled eggs, bacon and toast, and then sat down at the table to eat it. He'd been so caught up in his own dramas over the past thirty-six hours, that he'd barely given his mission to save his older brother a second thought. However, as he slowly consumed his food, his thoughts turned back to his reasons for coming to the past in the first place.

Part of Chris was wondering why he was even bothering trying to save Wyatt when it was obvious that his brother couldn't care less about him though. There was a slow-burning anger festering inside of him for the way Wyatt had so casually destroyed his relationship with his father as if it meant nothing. Although these feelings were perfectly natural under the circumstances, Chris still felt guilty for thinking that way. Consequently, he was filled with the need to resume his abandoned search as some sort of penance for his resentful thoughts.

Fortunately, after weeks of blind searching, he now had two new leads to chase up. He needed to look into whomever was behind the organised darklighter attacks but, more importantly, he intended to track down the demons that were responsible for his mother's death.

Up until now, Chris had been too afraid to acknowledge that the attack on Piper had been directly related to Wyatt's descent into darkness. This was partly due to his paranoia over losing her again, but also because he didn't think he could handle being responsible for her fate as well as his brother's. He knew that he'd be failing his family if he didn't face up to the possibility though, so he bravely swallowed his apprehension and prepared to confront his worst nightmare.

Suddenly eager to get back to work, he quickly cleaned his plate of his remaining breakfast, swallowed the rest of his coffee in one big gulp, and then dumped the dirty dishes in the sink. He was about to orb up to the attic to consult the Book of Shadows when Phoebe's reproving voice interrupted him.

"I see my sister taught her boys how to cook, but she obviously forget to mention that they should clean up after themselves," she said to her nephew from where she stood in the kitchen doorway.

Chris threw a guilty look at the pile of crockery in the sink. "That's Wyatt's job," he said defensively. "I cook, he washes up."

"Right – so not only do you help yourself to our food without asking, you expect a ten month old baby to clean up after you," Phoebe said teasingly.

"I guess I just thought that - seeing as you know who I am now - I could…"

"Treat the place like home?"

"Umm yeah, I guess – I'm sorry."

Phoebe laughed at his shame-faced apology. "For what? It is your home – I mean, you, Piper, Leo and Wyatt did live here, didn't you?"

"Yes."

Phoebe frowned. "Where did we put everyone?"

"Well, me and Wyatt shared a room to start with, and then when…," Chris stopped as he noticed the expectant look on his aunt's face. "Okay, nice try, but I'm so not biting."

The brunette witch pouted. "Spoilsport," she complained.

"That's right," Chris replied without a trace of sympathy. "Look, I've got to go – I have work to do."

"What work?"

"I need to check out some leads on who turns Wyatt."

"You want any help?"

"No – I think I've got things under control. I'm going to look up something in the Book, and then I'm outta here for a while. I'll be back later, all right?"

"All right - just be careful, okay?"

"You were never bothered if I was careful before."

"Well Mr Secrecy, if you'd told us who you were from the start, we might have been."

"I'm still the same person, Phoebe."

"To you maybe, but not to us. We know that there's nothing sinister behind the big cloak and dagger routine now, but we didn't know if we could trust you before."

"I suppose," Chris said, reluctantly conceding that his secretive behaviour had probably contributed to their suspicion of his motives. "I guess I thought the less you knew about why I came here, the better."

"Why? We're your family - were you so afraid to confide in us?"

"No! It wasn't that. It's just you haven't been part of my life for going on five years now, and I couldn't let being reunited with you distract me from what I came here to do. It was better for everyone that I kept my distance."

Phoebe looked at him, troubled by the matter-of-fact way in which he just accepted his long isolation from his family's care. "So you've been fending for yourself since you were sixteen?" she asked.

Chris looked away, the expression on his face unreadable. "Pretty much, yeah," he replied quietly. "I didn't believe Dad when he said he was there for us. My so-called brother totally screwed with my head!" he finished, a flash of hurt glittering in his green eyes.

The young whitelighter ran his fingers agitatedly through his hair as he felt the anger boiling up inside of him again. "I've really got to go," he said, hastily pushing his feelings aside to concentrate on his self-appointed mission to rescue Wyatt. "I'll see you later, yeah?"

Not waiting for an answer, he orbed upstairs, strode over to the Book of Shadows and started to leaf through it, looking for any mention of the demons that had murdered his Mom. Fifteen minutes of futile searching later, he was about to give up, until he turned the page to be confronted by an image that had haunted his dreams for seven long years.

Chris was no coward - he had faced all manner of demonic creatures in his lifetime - but this particular species sent an icy chill deep into his very soul. It was an irrational phobia, he knew. Unfortunately, it was incredibly real and very debilitating. All he had to do was look at the picture on the page and his heart was immediately racing in terror.

"Come on, come on, you can do this," he coached himself under his breath, annoyed at the power that his illogical fear had over him.

Closing his eyes, he blew out his breath between pursed lips, then bent over the Book of Shadows and forced himself to read the entry. Although it didn't tell him that much, it did give him an idea of how to track his enemies down. So, after loading a few supplies into a small rucksack, he orbed to a distinctly seedy part of town to consult with some of his Underworld contacts, determined to find out more about the demons in question.

Downstairs, the rest of the household gradually stirred into life. One by one, they descended the stairs and made their way into the kitchen. As Piper bustled about, sorting out breakfast for the hungry masses, Phoebe sat at the table, nursing a mug of coffee in her hands and pondering over her earlier conversation with her nephew. Something about the exchange was bothering her, but it wasn't until Future Leo entered the room that she finally voiced her concerns.

"Something Chris said earlier got me thinking," she said as he sat down in the chair opposite.

"Which would be what?" Future Leo asked, looking enquiringly at her.

"We were sort of talking about the effects of Wyatt's memory spell, and he said – I quote - 'I didn't believe Dad when he said he was there for us.'"

"I'm not sure I understand."

"He said 'there for us', not 'there for me.' It was almost as if he was talking about more than just himself."

On hearing this, Piper stared incredulously at the future version of her husband. "We have another child?" she asked, her voice strained.

Leo shook his head. "No, it's just the boys."

"So what did Chris mean?" Phoebe demanded.

Leo hesitated for a moment, but then decided to tell her the truth – she was halfway there anyway.

"I imagine he meant his cousins," he replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Cousins plural?" Paige asked, her eyes widening, "As in both me and Phoebe?"

Leo nodded. "And before you ask I'm not going to tell you anymore than that, okay? You know about Chris's existence because it's necessary, but knowing too much about the rest of the family could change the future in ways we don't want."

"You have to tell us if they're safe at least," Phoebe said, her voice filled with concern for her future offspring.

"They're fine, I promise – as much as they can be under the circumstances anyway. The best thing you can do is stop what happens to Wyatt and create a better future for them, okay? That's what they need more than anything else right now, believe me."

Paige and Phoebe nodded in unison while Future Leo looked about the room, suddenly realising that his younger son wasn't present. "Where is Chris anyway?" he asked.

"He said he was going to check out some new leads on who turns Wyatt."

"What new leads?"

"I don't know, he didn't say," Phoebe replied.

"Well, didn't you ask?" Leo demanded irritably.

"He promised he'd be careful," Phoebe protested in response to her brother-in-law's sharp censure.

"You shouldn't have believed him. I thought we talked about this – you said you were going to be more supportive from now on."

"You don't think he'd do anything stupid, do you?" Present Leo worriedly asked his future self.

"I think he'll do whatever it takes to get his brother back – regardless of the cost to himself," Future Leo replied. Pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger in agitation, he looked over at the mother of his children. "Piper – call him, will you please? He's unlikely to ignore you."

Piper nodded and lifted her voice. "Chris?"

There was no response, so she tried again, a little louder this time. "Chris!"

Nothing.

"I can't sense him," Present Leo said.

"Me neither," his future counterpart added, "Which means he's probably in the Underworld. Alone, I might add – I don't call that being careful, do you?"

"All right, don't go on about it," Phoebe said. "How was I supposed to know he was fobbing me off with platitudes?"

"Did he give you any clue about where he was going?" Future Leo asked.

"No – well actually, he did say he was going to check something out in the Book of Shadows first."

Breakfast was abandoned as they all trooped upstairs to investigate. "Damn!" Future Leo swore as he studied the open page of the Book.

"Trileb demon," Paige said, leaning over his shoulder to read the entry. "What's the significance? They look like ordinary demons to me."

"They are – apart from the fact that they killed your sister. I guess Chris has finally accepted that Piper's murder was tied into Wyatt's turning, and has decided to investigate."

"But didn't we look into it at the time?" Phoebe asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "I can't believe we'd leave Piper's death un-avenged."

Future Leo nodded. "Yeah, the three of us – and Wyatt – tracked them down a few weeks afterwards. It was the first time I saw the cruelty my eldest son was capable of - I mean, there's revenge and then there's _revenge._ He took things way too far and we were powerless to stop him."

He paused for a moment to let that sink in, and then shook his head sadly. "It was a dead-end anyway. They're just guns for hire, and they have the annoying habit of spontaneously combusting if you get too close to discovering who their employer is."

"If Chris knows all this, why is he looking into it?" Paige asked.

"Because he doesn't know," Leo replied. "He was so out of it at the time; I don't think he was aware of half of what was going on around him. We didn't tell him because we wanted to protect him - he'd been through enough already."

"So, should we be worried or not?" Piper enquired, concern for her son evident in her tone of voice.

Future Leo looked at her, his blue-green eyes reflecting her parental anxiety. "It's not that these demons are all that dangerous per se," he told her. "It's just that – for obvious reasons - Chris has a major phobia about them. Most of the time, he can take care of himself. But if he freezes up, I dread to think what could happen."

"So, we'll go down to the Underworld and fetch him back before he can get into any trouble then."

"Fine but where do you suggest we look? It'll be like searching for a needle in a haystack, Piper."

"We can't just do nothing!"

"I agree, which is why you and your sisters should try and summon him back to the Manor. If you use the Power of Three, you should be able to manage it – just as long as Chris doesn't resist."

"Are you saying he has the strength to break a Power of Three spell?" Penny asked, disbelief written all over her face.

Future Leo shook his head. "No, but he is able to move more than just objects with his mind. He might transfer the spell to another target."

"Prue couldn't do that," Phoebe objected.

"No, but your sister's powers were bound for the majority of her childhood, whereas Chris has been using his freely since he was about three. He's got years of experience on Prue, which means his telekinesis ability is much more advanced than hers was."

"Why does he have Prue's power anyway? He's _my_ son." Piper asked, her voice faintly possessive.

Future Leo grinned at her almost jealous tone. "I don't think it works like that, Piper. My theory is that you each inherit the potential to develop any one of Melinda Warren's powers, but you get the one that suits your overall personality. It's just theory, of course, but it seems to hold true."

Piper didn't look all that mollified and Future Leo laughed. "Look, if it makes you feel any better, Chris takes after you in lots of ways."

"Oh yeah – he's definitely moody, stubborn and irritable like his Mom," Phoebe agreed with mock solemnity.

"Hey!"

"Not to mention 'Piper neurotic,'" Paige added, shooting an innocent smile at her oldest sister.

"Very funny," Piper replied with heavy sarcasm, and then returned her attention to the task at hand. "Come on; let's summon that wayward son of mine before he gets himself into any serious trouble."

As her daughters got to work on the spell, Patty Halliwell turned at looked at her mother. "I guess this means we're sticking around for a while longer."

Penny nodded. "Just until the boy's back and safe," she agreed. "Then it's time for us to go – we've stayed long enough already."

* * *

Chilled to the bone, Chris groped his way along the pitch back tunnel, using the stone wall to find his way. The rock was cold and slimy to touch and his skin cringed back from the unpleasant sensation. 

It was just his luck that the Trileb demons lived in one of the remotest parts of the Underworld; sometimes it seemed as if he was destined to crawl around in dank and smelly places for the rest of his life. He wasn't sure yet what he planned to do when he reached their lairs either. I mean, his mother wouldn't be killed for over a decade - would they even be aware of the atrocity that they were to commit fifteen years into the future?

Given that the plan to turn Wyatt must already be in motion, he had to believe that they were, and it was important not to leave any stone unturned. This wasn't just for himself; it was for his family, his friends, the rest of the world in fact. It was a heavy responsibility to carry but he had accepted it nevertheless, and so he had to see it through to the bitter end, whatever the cost.

Just then, his boot caught on some uneven ground and he stumbled, cracking his head against the tunnel wall as he fell. Seeing stars, he lay on the tunnel floor for a few moments until his head stopped spinning, and then dragged himself to his feet with a groan. As he righted himself, he felt a warm trickle of liquid down the side of his face and realised that he was bleeding.

"Just great," he muttered under his breath, wiping away the sticky blood from his face with the corner of his t-shirt. Trying to ignore the painful throbbing in his head, he stubbornly continued on his way. He'd come this far, he wasn't about to give up now, it just wasn't in his nature.

Ten minutes later, he quite literally saw the light at the end of the tunnel and quickened his pace, eager to get out of the rank-smelling darkness. The light was coming from a staircase, which was cut into the side of the cavern, and he could hear the faint sound of voices coming from up ahead. Crouching down to hide himself from view, Chris cautiously peered around the corner to see where the staircase led.

It descended down to the floor of a large circular cavern. Chris absently took in the cages along one wall and roughly-hewn stone altar in the centre of the room, before his eyes were drawn to the group of demons standing in one corner of the dusty cave.

He froze, his heart hammering wildly inside his chest. There they were - the demons that had so cruelly stolen his mother away from him. Blind rage bubbled up inside of him but, unfortunately, the sight of their faces also triggered his deep-rooted terror of them as well. His palms began to sweat and his stomach churned with nausea as he struggled to contain his unreasoning fear.

Chris was so focused on calming his turbulent emotions that he was completely unaware of the stealthy approach of footsteps behind him. He was therefore oblivious to the danger until it was too late. All he felt was a ricochet of agonising pain as he was struck over the back of his head with a blunt object, and then everything went black…

_**To be continued…**_


	12. Trapped

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **

Re: Taynna – I know what you mean about the Patty/Penny thing. I originally planned for them to be more involved than they have been - you could say their parts have ended up on the cutting room floor as the story has progressed. I've actually been trying to get rid of them for a couple of chapters now - LOL! – I didn't think they'd leave with Chris missing though.

Re: Angelic Prefect - Future Leo has to leave after 72 hours. I've been keeping count and, although it probably seems like longer, we're only about 48 hours in. That means there's only one more day left though! sob :-(

To everyone else who reviewed – Thank-you – you make my day!

**

* * *

Chapter 12 **

When Chris eventually came to, he found it difficult to concentrate on anything other than the incessant throbbing in his head for the first few minutes. He lay there with his eyes closed, waiting for the room to stop spinning on its axis, knowing that if he tried to move he would probably throw up.

Finally, the staccato drumbeat inside his head faded to a dull roar and he slowly manoeuvred his aching body into a sitting position. Reaching behind his head with one hand, he gingerly touched the walnut-sized lump on the back of his skull, relieved to find that – although he was bleeding – his brains didn't appear to be spilling out onto the floor.

His eyes slowly adjusted to the dim light and he looked about, trying to figure out where he was. Solid mahogany bookcases lined every wall, stacked with row upon row of ancient, dusty volumes. However, the floor consisted of just bare sand, telling him that he was still underground. Somebody had obviously made this naturally formed cave his or her home and furnished it accordingly.

He was being held captive in a crystal cage, but the stones were jet-black rather than snow white like the gems that his mother and aunts used. He cautiously reached out to touch the seemingly insubstantial bars of his prison, and immediately snatched his hand back as a painful zap of electricity buzzed through his nervous system.

Orbing out was probably out of the question, but he stood up and tried it anyway, unfortunately only receiving another electric shock for his trouble. His attempts to move the crystals and break their magic with his telekinesis power had the same effect, and he slumped to the floor in defeat. He was well and truly trapped; there was no way of getting out of this one by himself.

"You don't give in easily – I have to give you credit for that," a disembodied voice said, making him jump out of his skin.

"Who are you?" Chris demanded, whirling around in the direction of the voice. It was very dark, but he could just make out a shadowy figure sitting in a large armchair in one corner of the room.

"I think the real question is who are you?" his captor replied, making no attempt to reveal himself. "You have the blood of a Charmed One in you – I can smell it from here. Only, the funny thing is, there's no record of your existence anywhere. There's only one male heir to the Halliwell line and he's still in diapers. You, however, appear to be significantly more grown up than that."

Chris was uncharacteristically silent. Comebacks – witty, sarcastic or otherwise – were his speciality, but he was unsure of how to respond in this particular instance. Foolishly brave he might be, but stupid he wasn't. He decided to keep his mouth shut until he learnt more about his kidnapper's motives.

"Wise boy."

His captor laughed, a dry dusty laugh that sent shivers down Chris's spine. "Never mind, I'll just have to figure it out for myself. After all, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to work out that if you're not from this time, you must be from another. I'm guessing we're talking about the future, given your gender. The Halliwells of the past weren't exactly equal opportunity breeders, now were they? Boys were distinctly lacking from the family tree. I imagine you were rather a disappointment when you were born."

Chris remained impassive. If his kidnapper's jibe was meant to provoke some sort of reaction from him, it failed miserably. Because if there was one thing that the young witch-whitelighter was sure of, then it was that both his parents loved him. The strength of his mother's love had never been in doubt, but neither was his father's now that his memories had been fully restored.

"So why would you go to all the trouble of travelling back in time then? Could it be that the garden isn't all that rosy in the future? What happened to the son and heir becoming the modern day King Arthur? Did something go a bit awry?"

It was the suggestive inflection in his captor's voice that clued Chris in - he was facing the person responsible for turning Wyatt, he was sure of it. "You," he ground out without thinking, his voice filled with suppressed hate.

"Apparently so. It's rather nice to know in advance that I manage to outwit the legendary Charmed Ones and steal their precious progeny right from under their pretty little noses."

"Not this time," Chris declared vehemently.

"Oh right, so you – a mere boy – are going to stop me, are you? I don't think so, son. I will not allow you to get in the way of my plans; I've waited far too many years for this."

"I'm not your son," Chris responded hotly, aggravated by his kidnapper's arrogant attitude.

"For which I am supremely grateful, believe me," was the sardonic reply. "Let's get one thing clear though - you won't be anyone's son when I've finished with you. First, however, I require some information from you."

Despite the blatant threat to his life, Chris scoffed. "Yeah like I'm going to tell _you_ anything," he shot back.

"Oh, I'm sure that after a little gentle persuasion, you'll be begging to oblige," his captor replied calmly, his darkly ominous tone indicating that, in fact, the 'persuasion' would be anything but gentle.

Forcibly swallowing the lump of fear that developed in the back of his throat, Chris glared defiantly towards the dark corner where his mysterious kidnapper was still concealed from view. "You'll get nothing from me," he vowed. "I don't care what you do to me."

"Oo fighting talk," his captor mocked. "Ah well, it will be so much more fun if you resist anyway. Seeing as I'm feeling generous though, I'll give you one more chance to change your mind and cooperate - after I've given you a taste of what you're letting yourself in for that is."

"Go to hell!"

"Oh I'm already there, boy. It's time for you to join me though, I think."

There was a spark of dark purple light from the corner and young whitelighter tensed as his kidnapper hurled some sort of energy ball in his direction. Unfortunately for Chris, his crystal prison was only designed to keep magic in, and the glowing sphere passed easily through the shimmering bars of the cage and hit him squarely in the chest.

At first, Chris felt nothing, and then he doubled over with a howl of agony as his insides suddenly exploded in searing pain. It was as if somebody had plunged a hot poker into his abdomen and was twisting it for all they were worth. Through the dark haze of his misery, he could vaguely hear his captor laughing as he clutched at his burning stomach and bit down hard on his lower lip to hold back his agonised cries.

After what seemed like an hour, but was probably only a minute or so, the white-hot pain in his stomach abruptly disappeared. However, the aftershocks continued to wrack his body for several minutes more, the lingering memory of unbearable pain fooling his shell-shocked brain into thinking that he was still under attack. Gasping and shuddering, Chris curled his lanky frame up into a protective ball, hugging his knees to his chest and burying his face against them, as tears streamed unchecked down his cheeks.

As his breathing slowly returned to normal, a shimmering sound alerted Chris to the approach of yet more magic, and he braced himself for a second onslaught of agony. It never came though. Instead, his captor rose to his feet with a startled oath.

"Damn witch's magic," he hissed, gesturing with his hand to try to deflect the spell away from its intended target.

The bars of the crystal cage were glowing brilliant white and Chris blinked owlishly, not really registering what that meant. His kidnapper's attempt to redirect the magic didn't work, and the whitelighter was suddenly bathed in a warm, gentle light. As his mother and aunt's combined power summoned him home, he sighed in woozy contentment, watching in distracted fascination as his body dissolved into a swirl of white stars.

"Chris!"

Piper rushed forward in concern as her son materialised in a crumpled heap on the attic floor. His clothes were filthy, covered in dust and dirt, and a streak of dried blood decorated the left side of his face, obviously from the nasty cut on his forehead. His dark hair was also matted and clumped together at the back, and her fingers came away slippery with blood from the still oozing wound at the base of his skull.

As she worriedly cupped his face in her hand, he looked up at her blankly, his green eyes dull and clouded with pain. She opened her mouth to call frantically for Leo, but he was already kneeling down next to their son and extending his hands over the young man's injuries. His future self hovered anxiously behind him, frustrated at being unable to do anything to help.

Chris's eyes fluttered shut as the healing light started to work its magic, and Piper could sense the tension draining out of him as she curled her fingers around his and gently stroked his hair away from his forehead. Leo finally lowered his hands, and Chris slowly opened his eyes, still disorientated.

"Where's Dad?" he croaked, oblivious to the flash of hurt that crossed Present Leo's face at his question.

"I'm here, son," Future Leo said soothingly, helping Chris to his feet and urging him over towards the couch.

Chris sank gratefully back against the cushions, closing his eyes for a moment before he jolted upright again. "You have to send me back," he said, struggling to get to his feet.

"What! Are you out of your mind? You're not going anywhere," Piper said, her voice going up an octave as she pushed him firmly back down on the couch.

"I have to – it was him."

"What was him?"

"Him!" Chris said urgently like it was obvious. "The one who turned Wyatt," he finally explained.

"Are you sure?" Future Leo asked his son.

"Yes! He knew who I was – well sort of – he knew I was a Halliwell at least anyway."

"How?"

"I don't know – he said he could smell it in my blood. Is that possible?"

"Some demons have that ability, yes."

"So, when I've been investigating in the Underworld, there's a possibility that some of them knew who I was?"

"Quite probably," Future Leo replied. "You could have got yourself killed, Chris. You should have never have gone down there without some sort of back-up."

"I had to. How was I supposed to find out about who turned Wyatt if I didn't?"

"Well, I don't know – ask the girls for help maybe?"

Chris shifted uncomfortably, wringing his hands in his lap. "That was easier said than done," he said quietly, keeping his eyes firmly on the floor. "They hated me in the beginning – it only got better when you came."

"We didn't hate you, Chris," Piper said.

"Yes, you did!" Chris burst out, his eyes filling with tears. "You said you didn't want to see me anymore!"

Piper's stomach burned with guilt. "I know I did and I'm so sorry," she said, sitting down beside him and taking his hands in hers. He didn't pull away, much to her relief, but he didn't look at her either.

"I was just reacting to what you told us about Wyatt being evil," she tried to explain. "I never would have said anything like that to you if I'd known who you were. Never in a million years - you have to believe that."

Chris nodded. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to… Oh, I don't know what I was trying to do. I messed everything up, didn't I?"

"No. You just made some bad decisions, that's all – we all did. We're on the same page now though, so let's just go from there okay?"

Chris's lips quirked up into a shy smile. "Okay," he agreed.

"Which means no more running off without telling anyone where you're going – capisce? Try that again and you'll be grounded for the rest of your life."

"You can't do that!" Chris protested in outrage.

"Oh really? Try me," Piper immediately retorted.

"Dad! Tell her!" Chris cast look of appeal at his amused father.

"What and undermine her authority? Sorry son, not gonna happen."

Chris's gaze swung towards Present Leo then, who also shook his head, trying not to laugh at his son's indignation.

"I'm not a baby. I'm twenty-one years old, an _adult,_" Chris grumbled. "You cannot ground me."

"No, probably not," Piper agreed. "When little you is born though, I can ground him till his eighteenth birthday if I want."

"You wouldn't."

"No? Just watch me."

Chris threw his hands up in exasperation. "This is so not fair!" he said, glaring at his aunts who were giggling at his misfortune.

"All right," Penny said, clapping her hands and bringing things back to order. "It's time to track down this miscreant who's after my great-grandson."

"Mother, we really have to go," Patty cut in. "We'll be in big trouble if we stay much longer."

"Trouble pfft! Nobody messes with my family."

"The girls can handle it. Crossing over is a privilege not a right, and I, for one, don't want to lose it."

"Mom's right, Grams," Phoebe said. "We're all grown up now, you know. We can manage.You go back and stir things up in the afterlife." She reached out and affectionately hugged her grandmother. "And tell Prue we love her – she is there with you right?"

"Yes honey, she is," Patty said as she stepped forward and warmly embraced her third daughter.

"So she'd come if we summoned her?" Piper asked hopefully.

Penny shook her head. "They say it's not time yet, whatever that means. I swear they talk in riddles just to annoy me."

"Can't imagine why," Future Leo mumbled under his breath, making both his son and present counterpart laugh.

Penny shot her grandson-in-law a steady look. "I heard that," she said. "I guess you know what it means."

"Could do," Future Leo replied cryptically, earning himself an icy stare from the Halliwell Matriarch.

Paige broke the deadlock by moving forward to hug her grandmother goodbye. "I'm glad I got some more time to get to know you," she said.

Distracted, Penny smiled down at the youngest Charmed One, touching her lightly on the cheek. "Me too honey," she said, stepping back and holding out her hand to her waiting daughter. "Okay, time to go."

Huddled closely together, Piper, Phoebe and Paige watched sadly as their mother and grandmother reverted to their non-corporeal forms and then vanished.

Piper sighed and looked over at Future Leo. "You can't tell us about Prue, can you?"

He shook his head. "It could interfere with what she has to do," he replied. "Believe me; you'll thank me when you know what it is."

"It's something to do with Wyatt, isn't it?"

"Piper…" the future version of her husband gently chided.

"Sorry, I just…"

"I know," Future Leo replied. "It's not Wyatt though," he added, his tone deliberately offhand.

Although it went over everyone else's head, Piper and Present Leo, as parents, caught the inference. They both immediately looked towards Chris, who was oblivious to their scrutiny, his mind back on earlier events.

"He's probably after Wyatt _and me_ now," he mused to himself, unaware that he had spoken aloud.

"What do you mean?" all three of his parents asked in concerned unison.

Chris jumped, startled by the question. "I… umm… he said he wouldn't let me interfere in his plans, that I wouldn't be anyone's son when he'd finished with me."

"Yeah well, he'll wish he'd never been born when I've finished with him," Piper said fiercely, a momma bear intent on protecting her cubs.

"Mom!" Chris rolled his eyes at her aggressive protectiveness, even though it warmed him from the inside out.

"Oh, that's so cute!" Phoebe exclaimed.

"What is?"

"You called Piper 'Mom'"

"Maybe that's because she _is _my Mom," Chris replied, his voice loaded with heavy sarcasm.

"I know. It's still cute though."

"Did anyone ever tell you that you're a very strange woman?"

Phoebe poked her tongue out at him. "Watch it, Mr Smartass, or I won't let you be one of my favourite nephews."

"And I'll be so deprived," Chris shot back, and then grinned to show her that he didn't really mean it.

"All right," Present Leo cut in, bringing the bantering pair back to the point. "You," he said, pointing at his son, "Sit. And tell us what happened – from the beginning and don't miss anything out."

_**To be continued…**_


	13. A Reason to fight

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes:** Thanks to all my reviewers and sorry for keeping you all waiting – hope you've not forgotten what's happening! Hit the dreaded writer's block with this chapter - I knew what was supposed to happen but it was a real battle to put it into words for some reason. Finally managed it though.

**Re: trina-k :** No, I decided to create my own baddie rather than use Gideon. And there will be more Present Leo/Chris interaction as the story progresses.

**Re: Victorious Light:** Although I could understand how Chris might have been unintentionally sidelined, I couldn't see Leo being that bad a Dad either, which was the whole reason for writing this.

So, on with the story...

_**

* * *

Last time… **_

"All right," Present Leo cut in. "You," he said, pointing at his son, "Sit. And tell us what happened – from the beginning and don't miss anything out."

**Chapter 13**

_**Ten minutes later…**_

"I'm sorry; it's not exactly much to go on, is it?" Chris said apologetically, once he'd finished telling his tale. "I don't even know what he looks like."

"Well it's more than we had yesterday," Paige said, getting to her feet and striding over to the Book of Shadows. "We know he can do this blood-smelling thing – which is like 'eew' by the way. There has to be something in the Book that'll point us in the right direction."

"I'm not so sure about that, Paige," Future Leo interjected. "In the future, we've already been through the Book from cover to cover trying to find a clue to what happened."

Chris looked puzzled. "I don't understand – how could you have? Wyatt has the Book."

"Now he does," Leo told his son. "But he didn't in the beginning. There's nothing in the Book that can help us with this, trust me."

"But the demons that killed Mom were in there," Chris protested.

"Yes," Leo nodded in agreement.

"So - that's not nothing. Maybe they know something, we should find them."

"Chris buddy – it won't do any good." Future Leo said quietly. "You were wasting your time looking for them earlier."

"No!" Chris shook his head in emphatic denial. "You don't know that."

"Yes son – I'm afraid do," Future Leo contradicted with a regretful sigh.

"But how?"

"Because we already tracked them down – right after your Mom…," Leo broke off, unable to say the words.

Chris's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't remember that. Why don't I remember that?"

Future Leo crouched down in front of his son, reaching out to take his hands in his own. "What _do_ you remember about that time?" he asked gently.

"I… I remember…,"

Chris broke off and looked over at Piper, tears welling up in his eyes. His hands tightened convulsively around his father's and he swallowed hard, looking down at the floor as the salty drops overflowed down his cheeks.

"What else?" Leo pressed, rubbing his thumbs in soothing circles over the underside of his son's wrists, trying to comfort him.

Sucking a deep breath, Chris forced himself to move past the painful memory of his mother lying cold and lifeless on the kitchen floor. Closing his eyes, he tried to recall what had happened in the weeks afterwards instead. His mind briefly flashed on an image of a single red rose falling from his unclasped fingers, but other than that, there was nothing.

"I don't…" Chris shook his head, and then his green eyes snapped open in sudden remembrance. "I remember Wyatt's birthday," he said, then frowned. "But… but I don't understand. That was like…,"

"Four months afterwards," Leo finished for him, his blue-green eyes bright with unshed tears. "Or seventeen weeks and two days if you want to be precise," he added, his voice shaking slightly with suppressed emotion.

"But I don't understand," Chris said again. "Was I sick or something?"

"It was a difficult time – for all of us – but you…," Leo trailed off and then tried again.

"You would get up, get dressed, eat and sleep when prompted, but other than that you were just this empty shell. It went on for so long, I didn't think we'd ever get you back, and then it was like somebody flipped a switch inside and the light came back on again. On Wyatt's birthday, you just came down to breakfast of your own accord. When you spoke I don't think I've ever been so grateful in my life."

Future Leo stopped and a silent tear slipped down his cheek as he reached out and smoothed his hand over Chris's unruly mop of dark hair. His son gave him a wobbly smile in return. He remembered that morning, remembered how his Dad and his aunts had hugged him so tightly that he thought he'd pass out from the lack of oxygen. He hadn't understood why at the time but now he did.

"How can I have been so unaware?" he asked incredulously. "And why did you never say anything?"

"The doctor said we should act as normal as possible around you, so we did. You didn't seem to realise that you'd been completely oblivious to your surroundings for four months, and we were told not to push you to talk about it. You were finally grieving properly for your Mom, and, at the time, that was all that mattered."

"So I'm a basket case?" Chris asked, his face screwing up into a rueful grimace.

"No! Don't ever think that, okay? Look how strong you've been since then, how you've coped with all that's happened in the past few years. You shouldn't feel ashamed because you couldn't handle losing your mother in such a traumatic way. Grief affects different people in different ways, that's all. You internalised your pain, whereas your brother…"

"Externalised his on a major scale?"

"Yes. Okay so maybe he was given a good, hard shove in that direction, but he basically pushed the self-destruct button himself."

"And it's that which keeps him there," Chris said shrewdly.

"What does that mean?" Phoebe said. "I thought you said he was evil."

"He is – kind of," her nephew told her. "With Wyatt, it's more about having ultimate power over everything though, and he doesn't care who he has to hurt to get it. If he's the master of the game, he can move all the pieces how he likes, you see."

"No, I don't see," Phoebe said irritably.

"I think I do," Present Leo said slowly. "If he controls events to his liking, then he never has to face that kind of pain and loss again."

"Exactly," Future Leo agreed. "Unfortunately, he doesn't have the ability to influence destiny in that way. The iron control he fights so hard to hold onto escapes from him all the time, and then he…"

"Gets extremely pissed off," Chris put in helpfully.

"Watch your language, mister," Piper immediately admonished her son.

"Sorry Mom," Chris coloured and lowered his eyes in contrition.

Hit with a bolt of nostalgia, Future Leo couldn't help smiling at the little exchange, but then his expression turned serious again. "He ends up lashing out when that happens," he explained, "And innocent people suffer as a result."

"So what do you reckon this demon's deal is?" Paige asked. "If he has some kind of personal grudge against us, why isn't he in the Book?"

"Because I don't think he does," Future Leo answered. "I think what he wants is control of Wyatt's power."

Chris scoffed at that, inadvertently attracting everyone's attention. "Sorry," he said. "It's just he was so smug about turning Wyatt earlier. He's gonna be mighty disappointed when he discovers things didn't go according to plan, after all."

"What does that mean?" Piper asked her son.

"Well if he thinks he can control Wyatt, then he's seriously mistaken. My brother's nobody's puppet, believe me."

Future Leo nodded in agreement. "Chris is right; Wyatt is definitely working to his own agenda. I've always had my suspicions that he was receiving some kind of guidance in the beginning though. Some of what he did was a little too sophisticated for someone of just seventeen years of age. Wyatt may be mature for his years but not to that extent."

"And there isn't anything you can remember that might give us a clue?" Present Leo asked, looking between his future self and his youngest son.

Future Leo shook his head. "No; whoever he is, he likes to keep to the shadows. For some reason, anonymity is important to him."

"Chris - what about you?"

"I… umm," the young whitelighter shifted uncomfortably, casting a guilty look at his father.

"Chris…" Future Leo said in a warning tone.

"He told me not to say anything," Chris suddenly confessed in a rush.

"Who did?"

"Wyatt."

"Told you not to say anything about what?" Future Leo asked sternly.

"After Mom, he… he used to sneak out a lot."

"At night you mean?"

"Yeah."

"To do what?"

"I don't know for sure. He _said_ he was hunting demons but he would never let me go with him, so maybe he wasn't. He could have been meeting this demon guy instead, I suppose."

"And you failed to tell me any of this because?"

Chris looked away from his father's piercing gaze, refusing to answer the question.

"Chris!" Future Leo's voice was sharp with exasperation.

"Because he said he was doing it so what happened to Mom couldn't happen to you as well, okay?" Chris cried out. "I believed him. I'm sorry – I guess I thought it was a good enough reason to keep quiet."

"Oh honey," Piper moved swiftly to sit next to her adult son. She slid her arm across his shoulders, pulling him into a half-hug. With a heavy sigh, Chris rested his head in the crook of her neck for a brief moment, before he reluctantly pulled away from her warm embrace.

"He's always so very good at manipulating me," he said, his eyes clouding over with bitter anguish. "I'm just a pawn in his twisted game and I hate it!"

Not knowing what to say, Piper stole a glance at her eldest son, who was playing happily in his playpen on the other side of the attic. It broke her heart to hear that her sons didn't share the same closeness as her and her sisters. How could it all have gone so horribly wrong?

"He does love him," Future Leo quietly reassured her.

Chris looked stricken at that. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean… I don't hate Wyatt; I just hate what he does. He's still my brother and I do care about him, even if I wish that I didn't sometimes."

"I actually meant that he still loves you," Future Leo said with a faint smile. "You think you'd be pretty much free to come and go as you please if he didn't?" he continued off Chris's dubious look. "You've made quite a nuisance of yourself over the last few years, you know. I know there have been consequences to that, but he's basically let you get away with it. Anyone else would be dead or imprisoned by now."

"I guess," Chris conceded. "It doesn't feel much like love though."

"I know, but it gives me hope that some part of the old Wyatt still exists beneath all that darkness. Realistically, I know the best way to save him is to stop him from being turned in the first place, but I need a reason to keep on fighting when I return to the future. Believing that there is still a chance, however remote, to get him back in our time gives me one."

Chris's heart constricted inside of his chest as he was forced to face something that he'd been trying to avoid thinking about. His father would be leaving soon and if he succeeded in his goal of saving Wyatt, then he would never see him again – ever – because he would be going back to a future where this version of Leo didn't exist.

"You don't have to go back," he said desperately. "You could stay here."

"You know that's not possible, Chris."

"Will I forget? About us, I mean. And what about when I go back? Will there be two of me?"

Future Leo shook his head. "No, I don't think so, because you'll be returning after the future has changed. I've done some reading up on the subject. What I think will happen is you'll merge with your future self and retain both sets of memories. You'll always remember our timeline, but your newer memories will be the more dominant of the two."

"But you won't be there."

"Not in this incarnation, no, but my other self will be."

"It won't be the same."

"He'll still be your father, Chris. You'll remember growing up as his son, just like you remember growing up as mine."

"But he won't know about this me, will he? Nobody will. I'll be the only person in the whole, wide world, who remembers what it was like in the other future."

"Which is why it's important for you to make the time to bond with this version of your family while you're here. That way, when you return to the new future, you'll have people who can love and support both sides of the person you'll become."

"All I wanted was to get my brother back," Chris said dejectedly. "I never really thought about what it would mean if I succeeded."

"It'll be a better life, I promise," Future Leo said, sitting down next to his son. "What you'll gain will outweigh what you've lost in the end."

"But you won't be there," Chris repeated, his green eyes shiny with emotion.

"No," his father agreed. "But you'll have the life that I always wanted for you. Just try to remember that okay?"

Chris nodded as Future Leo reached out and pulled him into a fierce hug. While father and son clung to each other as if their lives depended on it, the rest of their family looked on, all deeply affected by the emotionally charged atmosphere between them.

Getting up from the sofa, Piper crossed to stand by her husband. "You okay?" she asked quietly, recognising that Chris's words must seem like a rejection to her timeline's Leo.

Present Leo shrugged. "I feel like a spare wheel."

"He doesn't mean to push you aside, Leo."

"I can't believe I'm jealous of myself, how dumb is that?"

"It's not dumb. You're not the only one who's feeling somewhat inadequate as a parent right now. I'm envious of the connection that Chris has with him too, you know. Our future son is going to be effectively orphaned soon however, and it's down to us, as his future parents, to make that as easy on him as possible, don't you think?"

Leo nodded and squared his shoulders. "You're right. This isn't about us – this is about building a better future for our sons."

"That's the spirit," Piper said, tilting her head back to shoot him an encouraging smile.

Taking advantage of the opportunity presented to him, Leo threaded his fingers through her hair and pulled her close, dropping a kiss on her upturned lips. Moulding her body to his, Piper wrapped her arms round his waist and kissed him back.

"Ahem!" Paige deliberately cleared her throat when it appeared that their embrace wasn't going to end anytime soon. "Do you think you could save making Chris until later please?"

"Okay – so not needing _that _mental picture," her nephew said, grimacing in disgust.

Paige grinned at his discomfort, and then returned to the point. "We have a demon's sorry ass to vanquish in case you've all forgotten. Any ideas on how we're going to do that?"

"You'll have to lure him out into the open first," Future Leo said.

"Why not just give him what he wants?" Chris suggested.

"What you mean use Wyatt as bait?" Phoebe said, horrified. "I don't know how you can even suggest that. He's just a baby."

Chris rolled his eyes. "I meant me, not Wyatt."

"Absolutely not," Piper said. "Look what he did to you this morning, not to mention the fact that he threatened to kill you."

"He caught me off guard, Mom, that's all. He won't kill me until he gets the information he wants. Anyway, this time we'll be calling the shots, not him."

"It's still too risky."

"I agree," Present Leo concurred. "We'll find another way."

"Like what?" Chris shot back, frustrated at being treated like a child. "Come on – it's a good plan and you know it."

Leo hesitated, he didn't like it one bit, but he could see his son's point of view – this might well be the only way to trap their enemy. He looked over at his future self, trying to gauge what he thought of the situation. The troubled expression on his counterpart's face indicated that he was thinking much the same thing, which immediately made Leo feel less guilty for considering the idea.

"Look, it's not like I was planning on going down into the Underworld, sticking my hand up and saying 'Hey, come and get me'," Chris said persuasively. "I was kind of hoping I would have The Power of Three to watch my back."

"What do you think?" Present Leo asked his future self.

"I think I don't want my son put in any more danger," Future Leo replied. "But, I also have to accept that he's not a little boy anymore and capable of making his own decisions."

"Not when that involves putting his life at risk, he's not," Piper immediately retorted.

"Then do everything in your power to minimise that risk, Piper. You and your sisters have got to start thinking more strategically, rather than just reacting on pure instinct like you usually do. We know he doesn't make his move against Wyatt for a year or so yet, so there is plenty of time to plan everything down to the last detail. Use the time you've got to make sure all your bases are covered. Get the whole plan watertight and the risk to Chris is close to negligible."

"You make it sound like a war," Paige said.

"The whole future is a war-zone, Paige. It's good versus evil on an entirely different scale to what you're used to. If you don't want to live in that kind of world, then set aside your everyday life for a while, and do everything you can to prevent it from turning out that way again. It's not that much to ask is it?"

"You've gotten hard, Leo," Phoebe said then. "What happened to the mild-mannered whitelighter we know and love?"

"His wife was brutally murdered, his eldest son turned evil and the whole world went to hell. On top of that, he couldn't do anything to stop his youngest child from suffering horribly because of it all," Future Leo replied. "Is that reason enough for you?"

"It's reason enough for me," Present Leo said quietly, breaking the shocked silence that followed Future Leo's harsh words.

The three Charmed Ones looked at each other, finally fully accepting the seriousness of the situation that faced them. "And me," they said as one.

_**To be continued…**_


	14. He is me

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Relatively quick update because my muse appears to be working pretty well at the moment. Keep your fingers crossed that it lasts! Please review – I like reviews :-)

**Re: Septdeneuf** - I will think about how to update the summary. I deliberately kept it vague at the beginning though, because I didn't want to spoil the surprise about Leo being the visitor from the future.

**

* * *

Chapter 14 **

Later that evening, Chris lay flat on his back in the middle of the garden, looking up at the stars twinkling in the night sky. He remembered his whole family doing this on several occasions, his Mom, Dad, brother and himself, lying with their heads close together, whilst Leo told them the ancient stories behind the constellations.

When he was a little boy, he had believed that his father knew everything, that he would always have an answer to any question he might ask, the solution to any problem he may encounter. It was only as he grew older that he realised that Leo wasn't infallible. He was wiser than most by virtue of his Elder and former whitelighter status, but he had flaws just like everyone else.

Somehow, that only served to strengthen Chris's admiration for him though – he was twenty-one years old but his father was still his hero, probably always would be.

"Hey!"

"Hey," Chris returned his father's greeting in a subdued tone, before sitting up and hugging his knees to his chest.

"You okay?" Future Leo asked, as he sat down besides his son and stretched his legs out in front of him.

"Yeah," Chris said quietly, resting his chin on his knees and looking off into the distance, his eyes unreadable. "Are they dead?" he asked suddenly.

"Who?"

"The demons that killed Mom."

"Yes," his father replied solemnly. "Your brother saw to that."

Chris nodded his head as he silently absorbed that piece of information. "Good," he said eventually, his tone fierce and unforgiving.

"Chris, listen to me," Leo said, placing a calming hand flat against his son's back. "Don't let the need for revenge consume you, okay? Once the demon after Wyatt is vanquished, then you need to let it go and move on with your life. Don't dwell on the past at the expense of living the future you've fought so hard for. Promise me you'll make the most of your new life."

"I will Dad, I promise," Chris said, then sighed. "I just wish you could be there too. There'll be two halves of me, why not two halves of you?"

"Because when the time shift occurs, I will cease to exist."

"But if that's how it works, shouldn't I disappear from existence too?"

Leo smiled. "You'd think so, wouldn't you? Unfortunately, it's not that simple. The rules of time are extremely convoluted."

"Yeah, I'm kind of getting that. So why is it different for me?"

"In simple terms, it's because you'll be part of this reality when the timeline shifts away from the old one. You therefore need to be part of the new future to maintain the balance with its past. Of course, there can't be two of you because, genetically, you're the same person, so…"

"I'll merge into one and become some weird hybrid of my present and future selves?"

"Pretty much, yeah."

Chris let out a short laugh. "Well, at least I won't be just Wyatt's bland, boring brother anymore."

"You were never that, Chris."

"Go tell that to the kids at school. Tobey Clayton even questioned whether you were my father once – he said that you couldn't be because I wasn't as powerful as Wyatt."

"Tobey Clayton – the ginger-haired psychic right? The one whose nose you broke in eighth grade?"

"Umm yeah – that's the one."

"And that was the reason? Why on earth didn't you say so?"

"Because I was afraid it was true."

"Chris…"

"I know, I know – I was going through an insecure phase at the time, I suppose. Still, it ended up being worth the lecture I got from you and Mom about using my telekinesis like that. Tobey never questioned the strength of my power again."

Leo laughed. "No, I bet he didn't. He looked like he'd been hit in the face with a lead weight."

"You healed him, didn't you?"

"That's kind of not the point."

Chris grinned. "Maybe not," he said. "At least it got me noticed - I was significantly more popular after that. I guess I wasn't the only one who Tobey tormented."

"His mother was somewhat of a dragon, I recall," Leo said conversationally. "She questioned whether you and Wyatt were stable enough to be around other children after you disfigured her precious son."

"I bet _that_ went down well with Mom."

"She was rather irate when she heard about it, come to think of it," Leo said with a broad grin. "Luckily, your head-teacher was wise enough to call me in to deal with situation rather than Piper. Otherwise, I think Mrs Clayton might have ended up being turned into a toad or something."

Chris laughed. "Me and Wyatt didn't cause_ that_ much trouble, did we?"

Leo shook his head. "No - boys will be boys, of course, but you didn't get yourselves into half as much strife as some of your peers. Magic School was created so supernaturally gifted children could learn how to control their powers in a safe environment, and that led to some interesting situations, I can tell you. Your Mom resisted sending Wyatt there at first, but after he orbed a little girl in his Kindergarten out into the playground for stealing his toy truck, she changed her mind."

"Wyatt deliberately exposed Magic?"

"He was three, Chris. He didn't understand why he couldn't use his powers in public. Your Mom eventually agreed to send you both to Magic School, but only on the condition that you didn't board there like the other children."

Chris looked confused. "But lots of kids didn't board at school."

"In your day, yes, but before Wyatt only the very youngest children went back to their parents at night. You could say we started a new trend. The Elders were furious at first, until they realised that behaviour was improving because the children didn't have to endure such long separations from their families anymore. It was Paige who came up with the idea of the transporter door to get pupils safely in and out of the school without exposure."

"I always wondered how that worked."

"Pretty simple really - it's infused with Elder power and it simply orbs you home or into school whenever you step through it."

"Cool."

"Yeah – I thought so too. I wouldn't necessarily tell Paige I said that however, it might go to her head."

"The girls don't seem to know about Magic School though. At least, they've never mentioned to me."

"No, they wouldn't. I didn't bring up the subject with Piper until she started talking about putting Wyatt into Mommy and Me classes, and I don't think we're at that point in the timeline yet. It's probably something worth mentioning to them now actually, you might need the protection the School has to offer over the next few months."

Chris nodded. "So are you going to tell them, or shall I?"

"No, we'll get my other self to do it. Speaking of which – I think there are a few things you need to resolve on that front."

Chris sighed, guessing where the conversation was going. "It's just that he was the worse one," he tried to explain. "The person who most suspicious of me, you know?"

"Well, that's hardly surprising given what you did to him. Banishing him to Valhalla and supplanting him as the girl's whitelighter wasn't the best way to gain his trust."

"I guess not."

"I think it'll be easier for you both when I've gone back to the future. Because you've got me, you don't need him right now. I imagine that's killing him at the moment."

"You think so?" Chris asked, not so sure.

"I don't think, I know so," Future Leo replied. "He is me, remember? He'll have got over the shock of finding out you're his son by now and will want to get to know you properly. Unfortunately though, he has to compete with another version of himself to get a look in, one that's got an unfair advantage at that."

"I just don't see how it can ever be the same."

"That's because you're looking at it as if we're two separate people. We're not – we look alike, most of the time we think alike, the only difference between us is twenty-two years of life experience. Look at it this way – you love this time's Piper even though she hasn't loved and nurtured you for fourteen years, don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do. She's still my Mom."

"Exactly. And if your other Mom could come back from the future, would you suddenly stop caring for this Piper?"

"No."

"So why should it be any different with me?"

"It shouldn't but it is somehow. I don't know why."

"Could you be projecting the anger that you feel towards the version of me, which Wyatt implanted in your memory, onto him?"

"I guess that's possible," Chris said thoughtfully "That's kind of unfair though, isn't it?"

"You said it, son."

"I'm sorry. I guess everything's still all mixed up inside my head."

"That's perfectly understandable, but you need to recognise that those memories are a complete fabrication. This is the man who's going to change your diapers and feed you; take you to the park to play on the swings; read you bedtime stories at night; smooth things over when you deck some kid at school. He is me, in other words, and he's not going to neglect you. He's going to love you like a father should."

Chris smiled. "All right; I get it. I'll try, okay?"

Future Leo nodded. "Good."

"No matter how good my life in the future is, there'll always be some part of me that needs this version of you though. They won't ever be able to understand what it was truly like in our future, however much they try. I'll have to carry those memories alone inside of me until the day I die."

Not knowing what to say, Leo reached out to squeeze his son's shoulder in silent understanding. They sat quietly for a while, each contemplating the sacrifices they were being forced to make for the greater good. A few minutes later though, they were startled out of their joint reverie by the sound of a door slamming, and turned to see Piper and Present Leo walking down the path towards them.

"Hi!" Piper said. "We were hoping we could ask you something?"

"Sure, fire away," Future Leo replied.

"Well, we were wondering when we need to start thinking about trying to conceive Chris."

"Okay," Chris said, immediately bolting to his feet. "I think I'll go and see if Paige and Phoebe need any help."

Future Leo grinned after his fleeing son. "Bona fide way to embarrass your children – start talking about your love-life in front of them," he advised, tongue in cheek. "Kissing and cuddling them - or better still each other - in front of their friends works pretty well too."

Piper laughed as she and Leo sat down on the grass besides him. "We'll try to remember that," she said, gracing him with a sunny smile.

Future Leo shook his head in amusement. "How Chris has managed to keep it together around you these past few months, I'll never know. I remember how freely we used to talk about dating and the like – you've probably shocked him to the core."

"He's hardly innocent," Present Leo said, remembering how he'd caught Chris and his female charge, in a state of undress, in the back room at P3, several months earlier.

"No, I don't expect he is," Future Leo agreed. "I imagine he's just like any other twenty-one year old in that respect. However, that doesn't mean he's comfortable with his Mom and Aunts talking about stuff like that in front of him."

Present Leo chuckled. "No, I guess not."

"Anyway – back to your question. We always believed that Chris was conceived on Wyatt's first birthday, although, realistically, it could have happened a week either side."

"But that's only two months from now!" Piper exclaimed.

"Is that a problem?"

"I'm not sure I'm ready yet to be pregnant and a Mom again, that's all."

"Well, that wouldn't be that much different from last time."

"How do you mean?"

"Put it this way – Chris was a rather unexpected addition to our family. A welcome one as it turned out, but it threw us for a loop when we first found out about him, I can tell you."

"Well, I suppose I can live with being indestructible again for nine months."

Future Leo shook his head. "Chris didn't have a forcefield, Piper. I think that's partly how someone managed to get to Wyatt without us realising. We were so focused on making sure Chris made it into the world unharmed at the time."

"You make it sound like he was under threat."

"Because he was. He became a target for all sorts from the moment it was obvious that you were pregnant again. They thought he might be another Wyatt, you see."

Concerned, Piper's hands instinctively went to her belly, despite the fact that her second child wasn't yet cocooned there. "How are we supposed to keep him safe?" she asked worriedly.

"We managed it before. I'm not saying it was easy but we got through it okay. In the end, Chris was born perfectly healthy. I see no reason for that to be any different this time round. Try to conceal your pregnancy for as long as possible though. It was only after it became common knowledge that things got bad."

Piper nodded, although her expression was still troubled. Present Leo slipped his arm around her shoulders and pressed a gentle kiss to her temple. "It'll be okay," he quietly assured her. "Nobody is going to hurt either of our boys. I'll make sure of that; I don't care what I have to do."

Future Leo looked at his past self thoughtfully, a glimmer of an idea stirring in the back of his mind. "Is there anything else you specifically want to know?" he asked. "I have to leave tomorrow remember?"

"You said Chris was twenty-one, right?" Present Leo asked. "If he's conceived in two months, we've missed his birthday recently, haven't we?"

Future Leo shook his head. "No, I'm the one who's going to miss it. Chris was a month premature. His twenty-second birthday is in a couple of days."

"He was alright though?"

"He was fine, just a little on the small side, that's all." Future Leo replied. "He fed well, so he soon gained weight."

Piper nodded, reassured. "So - anything else?" Future Leo asked.

Piper and Present Leo looked at each other and then back at him, shaking their heads in unison.

Future Leo got to his feet. "All right then, if you'll excuse me, there's something I need to do," he said, then orbed out, leaving the two of them alone.

The baby monitor in Piper's hand crackled into life then, and Wyatt's plaintive grizzles for attention filled the small garden. The brunette witch climbed to her feet and held out her hand to her husband. "You want to help me bath our baby boy?"

Leo nodded, slipped his hand into his wife's and allowed her to haul him upright. As they walked, hand in hand, back into the house, a warm glow of contentment filled him. "We haven't done this in a while," he said. "Bathed Wyatt together, I mean."

Piper squeezed his hand affectionately. "I know. I've missed us being a family."

Leo smiled at her. "Me too."

"Maybe we could take Wyatt out to the zoo or something in a few days time. Maybe on Chris's birthday - we could invite him along and make it a real family day out, just the four of us. I think that'll be good for all of us, don't you?"

"Sounds like a plan to me," Leo said as they began to trudge up the stairs.

When they reached the first floor landing, they could hear voices filtering down from the attic above. "Are Phoebe and Paige still working on a way to trap this demon after Wyatt?" Leo asked, pushing open the door to the nursery.

Piper nodded. "Yeah, I think so. They're just brainstorming right now though. I think we've all taken on board what your future self said about not rushing into things and planning things properly for once. Chris and Wyatt's safety is too important for us to take any chances."

"Can't disagree there," Leo said, lifting a happily cooing Wyatt out of his cot. "Okay little guy, time for your bath."

While Leo wrestled his squirming son out of his day clothes, Piper pulled out a pair of mini PJs from the chest of drawers. "What do you think?" she said, showing them to her husband.

They were navy blue in colour and had the words 'Am I cute or what?" written across the front of them in white lettering.

Leo laughed. "Perfect," he said. "We'll have to get Chris a matching set."

Piper giggled. "I don't think they make them in adult sizes," she said. "Plus I think he might object somewhat."

Leo's face broke into a wide grin at her deliberate misunderstanding. "I meant baby Chris," he said, crossing his eyes at her.

Piper was about to respond when suddenly an almighty crash from above shook the whole house on its foundations. They both jumped to their feet in alarm.

"Oh my God! What the hell was that?" Piper exclaimed.

_**To be continued…**_


	15. Experiments

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Apologies for the delay in updating. Real life has been pretty busy the last couple of weeks - I became an auntie for the first time. :-) I haven't had that much free time to write therefore. Hope this is worth the wait.

_**

* * *

Last time… **_

Piper was about to respond when suddenly an almighty crash from above shook the whole house on its foundations. They both jumped to their feet in alarm.

"Oh my God! What the hell was that?" Piper exclaimed.

**Chapter 15 **

_**The Attic, twenty minutes earlier…**_

"Hey! Can I come in?"

Chris poked his head round the attic doorway and smiled shyly at his Aunts. Despite his brief conversation with Phoebe earlier that morning, he was still a little unsure of how to act around them, now that they knew who he was.

Three days ago, he'd simply been their nagging, neurotic whitelighter, now he was their grown-up nephew. It changed things and he wasn't certain which role he should be playing. It was much more clear-cut with his parents somehow, he was their son and that's all there was to it.

"Sure you can," Phoebe said, beckoning him in. "You don't have to ask, silly."

Chris crossed the room to join them. They were both sitting cross-legged on the floor, with the Book of Shadows and various other spell books scattered around them. "You come up with anything?" he asked as he sat down beside them.

"Not yet. So far, every scenario we've come up with ends up with you…" Paige made a slashing motion across her throat with accompanying gruesome sound-effect. "Not the outcome we were looking for."

"Glad to hear it."

"It'd be much simpler if you had a shield like Wyatt," Phoebe said, looking at him hopefully. "Do you?"

Chris shook his head. "Afraid not - guess I wasn't deemed worthy."

"Oo – someone's got an inferiority complex," Paige teased in an annoyingly singsong tone.

Chris shot her a withering look. "Well, can you blame me?" he replied. "You try growing up in the shadow of a more powerful elder sibling."

"Been there, done that," Paige said quietly.

Chris nodded in acknowledgement. "Difference is; Prue wasn't really any more powerful than you. You just felt you had to live up to her memory in order to be accepted properly into the family. Once you realised you could just be yourself, it was no longer a problem."

Paige's eyes opened wide at his astute assessment of her issues. "How do you know that?"

"Oh… umm… we talked… about stuff – in the future, I mean," Chris shifted uncomfortably, realising that he'd treated her with more familiarity than maybe he should have done under the circumstances.

Paige however, smiled broadly. "So I was like an 'agony' aunt?"

Chris laughed. "Oh yeah, you were agony all right," he joked, earning himself an indignant punch on the arm. "No, you were great – you were _both_ great, all the family was. Wyatt might have been more powerful, but we weren't treated particularly differently at home."

"But outside of home, it was a different story, I take it?" Phoebe asked.

Her nephew nodded, then sighed. "Yeah – at Magic School especially."

"Magic School?" Paige queried.

Chris groaned at his slip of the tongue. "You see, this is why I didn't want you to know who I was," he said wryly. "I relax my guard around you and all these secrets start popping out."

"So you're not going to tell us what you mean then?"

"Actually, Dad just said that we should tell you about Magic School. We could require the refuge it offers when we go after whoever is trying to turn Wyatt, you see. You would have found out soon enough anyway. I don't know much about these things, but I imagine my little-big brother is nearly old enough for 'Mommy and Me' classes, right?"

Phoebe nodded. "So Magic School is what then? A School that's Magic? Or a School for magically gifted children?"

"Kind of both."

"Where is it?"

Chris frowned. "You know, I don't actually know. In some sort of hidden reality plane, I think. It's protected by Elder Magic so its pupils can learn to control their abilities in a safe environment."

"And both you and Wyatt went to school there?"

"Yeah. I didn't quite live up to my brother's reputation when I arrived though. They were expecting another genius and all they got was me."

"You're not exactly powerless though, are you?" Paige pointed out. "You can orb and you've got your telekinesis. Your Dad says you can use that on spells as well as objects, which is kind of cool if you ask me."

Chris glowed with pleasure at the endorsement. "You think so?" he asked, his green eyes sparkling with boyish delight.

Paige laughed at his reaction. "Yeah, I think so – you can have a gold star to put on your chart if you want."

Chris pulled a face at her. "Very funny," he said sarcastically. "Besides, they were silver, not gold," he added with a quirky smile. "Mom said silver ones were better, although I think she just got fed up with trailing round the shops to find gold ones. They were always out of stock, you see."

Paige grinned at her nephew, and then her expression turned serious as a sudden idea struck her. "Could you project a spell?" she asked him.

"How do you mean?"

"Well, I'm guessing that when you sense a spell aimed at you, you wave your hand to deflect it somewhere else?"

"It's a little more complicated than just waving my hand, but that's pretty much how it works, yeah."

"Right, so do you think you could slow the whole process down? I mean, sort of absorb the spell into you, and then project it away at a later time?"

Chris frowned in thought. "I guess I could," he said slowly. "I've never really tried anything like that before though."

"What are you getting at, Paige?" Phoebe asked her sister.

"Well, we've been talking about how it'd be easier if Chris had a shield like Wyatt's to protect himself. What if we make him a 'Power of Three' one?"

"Which he can control with his telekinetic ability," Phoebe finished for her. "That's a great idea!"

"Didn't know you had a genius for a little sister, did ya?" Paige preened, extremely pleased with herself for coming up with a solution to their dilemma.

"Err – hold it with the self-congratulation, girls," Chris cut in. "I'm not saying it's not possible, but what you're talking about would take a tremendous amount of self-control on my part. The more powerful the spell, the harder they are to move, and, in this time and place, a Power of Three spell is the most potent magic there is."

"Well, you'll never know unless you try," Paige said. "I'm not saying we hit you with a Power of Three spell straightaway, we'll start with something small and work our way up. Practise makes perfect, right?"

"If you say so," Chris said, somewhat dubiously.

"You need to believe in yourself more," Phoebe told him. "So what if Wyatt's more powerful than you, forget about him, just concentrate on making the most of the power that you have."

Paige got up and rummaged around in one of the boxes of junk, producing a rather ugly-looking vase. "Nobody likes this, right?" she asked, holding it up.

Phoebe shook her head. "No, even Grams hated it; I don't know why she kept all this stuff. I think she just couldn't bear to throw anything away half the time."

"Okay, so this is the perfect opportunity to de-junk a little," Paige declared, setting the garishly coloured, pottery vase on top of a large chest of drawers, before rejoining them on the other side of the room.

"It'll be easier if you know when the spell's coming at you, I suppose?" she asked of Chris, who nodded in reply.

"Okay then," Paige said, pulling open a drawer and taking out a small drawstring bag, together with a pad and pencil.

Chewing lightly on the end of the pencil, she deliberated for a few moments, then scribbled a few lines on the top sheet of the pad and tore it off.

"Just a little something to blow that disgusting thing to smithereens," she explained as she upended the cloth bag and emptied out its contents into the palm of her hand.

She spoke the small rhyme that she'd composed, and the glittery powder glowed a brilliant white as it absorbed the spell. The youngest Charmed One then turned to her expectant nephew.

"All right, so instead of just TKing the spell away from you as soon as it comes near, let it get as close as possible," she instructed him. "Then, try to hold it for as long as you can, before directing it at the vase."

"It will just blow up the vase, right?" Chris asked nervously.

"Yes, don't worry," Paige reassured him. "I really don't think my sister and two brother-in-laws would be very pleased if I shattered you into a million pieces. The spell will only destroy inanimate objects, I promise. Are you ready?"

Chris braced himself, and then nodded. Paige lifted her hand to her mouth and blew the glittery powder directly into his face.

Sucking in a deep breath, the witch-whitelighter resisted the instinct to push the spell immediately away from him, and, instead, allowed the magic to enter his body. Holding up his hand in a halting gesture, he gritted his teeth, striving to keep control of his aunt's magic as it raced around, unchecked, inside of him.

It was an incredibly weird sensation – he could feel the essence of whom Paige was in a way that he'd never been able to before, not even with his sensing ability. Because her mind worked so differently from his though, her magic proved extremely difficult to control.

His shoulders heaving with effort, Chris held onto the spell for as long as he could, but soon felt like he was going to explode. Unable to hold it in any longer, he gestured wildly at the vase with his hand and threw the spell away from him, letting out his breath in a grateful rush as the unbearable tension left him.

Unfortunately, his aim and control were decidedly off. Not only did the vase explode with a deafening crack, sending pieces of pottery to every corner of the attic, the shelving unit behind the chest of drawers cleaved away from the wall, and crashed, with its contents, to the floor, creating an almighty racket.

"Okay," Paige said, as the three of them stared at the destruction in stunned amazement. "So maybe you could think about using a little _less_ force next time."

Phoebe began to laugh. "I'll second that," she said, picking bits of broken pottery out of her hair and tossing them aside.

"It's not funny," Chris grouched at the sniggering pair. "Mom's gonna kill me and it's all your fault."

As if on cue, clattering footsteps ascended the stairs before Piper skidded into the attic, Leo close on her heels.

"What the hell happened?" she said, her hands poised at the ready. "Where's the demon? Did you vanquish him?"

Her question only made her sisters laugh harder, and Chris glared at them in irritation.

"Will somebody please tell me what's going on?" Piper demanded, turning towards her son when she got no answer out of her giggling siblings. "Chris?"

"It was Paige's idea," he protested defensively. "It's not my fault it didn't exactly go according to plan."

Piper looked over at the mess on the other side of the attic. "You did that?"

Chris cringed at her sharp tone. "Not deliberately. Paige's magic is more difficult to control than mine, that's all."

Piper looked confused. "Paige's magic?" she asked in a puzzled tone.

"We were talking about how it would be easier to protect Chris if he had a shield like Wyatt," Phoebe started to explain, once she'd recovered her composure somewhat.

"And?"

"Well, you know Future Leo said Chris could TK spells?"

Piper nodded.

"Well, Paige thought we could make him a 'Power of Three' shield that he could control with his power."

"So, we decided to try out the theory by getting him to shatter that hideous orange and green vase with a spell of mine," Paige took over the narrative. "Only things went a little bit awry, and your son shattered a whole lot more than just the vase when he projected my magic."

"So I see," Piper said acidly.

"He'll get better with practise," Paige assured her sister.

"Will the house still be standing though?"

"Hey!" Chris protested. "It's not like I've ever done this before, you know. I don't think it was that bad for a first attempt."

"You can talk anyway, Piper," Phoebe cut in. "Remember what it was like when your exploding power first developed? We all had to duck every time you lifted your hands."

Chris laughed at that bit of information, earning himself one of his mother's 'looks.' Un-phased, he shrugged. "I suppose it's like mother like son," he said, grinning cheekily at her.

Against her will, Piper found herself smiling back at her son. She didn't think she'd seen Chris looking so relaxed before. Usually the strain of his self-imposed mission to save Wyatt was permanently etched on his face, she realised with a pang. How could she have been so blind to his obvious emotional turmoil? He may have been secretive about his reasons for coming to the past, but the clues had been there all along.

She had often caught him quietly watching her taking care of Wyatt, his sad, soulful eyes full of hidden emotion, but had thought nothing of it at the time. His reaction to her dating was decidedly over the top as well, he certainly took a violent dislike to Greg that was for sure. In fact, she wouldn't be surprised if the two guys, who had inexplicably stood her up, had had a little encouragement to do so, courtesy of her second son.

As that thought struck her, her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"Ben Marsh's great-aunt didn't really fall down the stairs and break both her legs, did she?" she asked.

Flushing guiltily, Chris immediately dropped his gaze from hers and refused to answer the question.

"Who's Ben Marsh?" Phoebe asked, puzzled.

"You know the doctor, who stood Piper…," Paige broke off and stared at her nephew. "Oh you so didn't…?"

"He was a preppy jerk. And don't even get me started on the _fireman_."

Leo laughed at his son's belligerent tone. It warmed him to think that, even with the effects of Wyatt's spell, Chris had still refused to accept any other man in his mother's life. Guessing her husband's thoughts, Piper reached out and slipped her hand into his, squeezing his fingers affectionately.

"I guess only Daddy's good enough, huh?" she said.

Chris nodded in agreement. "I could be biased, of course," he added with a broad grin.

After smiling warmly at her son, Piper turned to Leo, but what she was about to say died on her lips, when she saw the telltale blank expression on his face.

"The Elder's aren't jingling for you now are they?" she asked, annoyed at the interruption. This was a perfect opportunity for her husband and their errant son from the future to get to know each other a little better.

Leo blinked a couple of times, and then focused his gaze back on his wife's face. "Umm… not exactly," he replied. "I'm jingling me."

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"I'll come with you then."

"Me too," Chris said, getting to his feet.

Leo shook his head. "No, he said to come alone," he told them firmly, then disappeared in a cloud of blue orbs before they could object.

"I hate it when he does that," Piper said to no one in particular.

* * *

High up on the Golden Gate Bridge, Future Leo stood gazing out over the lights of San Francisco, lost in thought. A bell-like shimmering sound announced the arrival of his past self, but he didn't immediately look around, needing to compose himself before he spoke. 

Seeming to sense this, Present Leo seated himself on the orange-coloured metallic beam and waited patiently for their conversation to begin. Eventually, Future Leo moved over to join him, sitting down with his legs dangling over the edge as he looked down at the busy road beneath them.

"I have something to ask you," he said slowly. He lifted his gaze from the scene below and looked his other self directly in the eye. "But, whatever happens, it has to be your decision, okay?"

His curiosity piqued, Present Leo nodded. "Okay," he agreed.

Future Leo's lips quirked up into a small smile. "I guess I'm hoping that, as you're essentially me, you'll make the same decision that I would make, under similar circumstances."

"That doesn't seem wholly unreasonable."

"You don't know what I'm going to ask yet."

"So how about you enlighten me then?"

Future Leo pulled a small bottle out of his shirt pocket and handed it to his counterpart. Present Leo turned it over in his hands before asking, '"What is it?"

"A memory-restoring potion; similar to the one that I gave to Chris when I first got here."

"I don't understand," Present Leo said, puzzled. "What would I want with a memory-restoring potion?"

Future Leo didn't reply, but he didn't need to because the meaning of his request suddenly dawned on his past self.

"You want to give me your memories of the other future," he realised.

"Yes," Future Leo confirmed.

"Why?"

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Future Leo drew in a deep breath and began to explain…

_**To be continued…**_


	16. Decisions

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Sorry for the slow updating of this story. It's for a combination of reasons: 1) My muse is working overtime on my other fic at the moment, and 2) I have a few plot points to work out. I know how it's going to end - I could write the final few chapters now. It's just how I get from here to that point that I haven't fully worked out yet.

Anyway, enough with my rambling, on with the show. This chapter is kind of filler but it's necessary to set up the rest of the story. It's mainly just Leo and Leo as well- hope it doesn't get too confusing!

Thanks to all those who reviewed - replies to specific questions at the end.

_**

* * *

Last time… (Because it's been such a long time!) **_

Future Leo pulled a small bottle out of his shirt pocket and handed it to his counterpart. Present Leo turned it over in his hands before asking, '"What is it?"

"A memory-restoring potion; similar to the one that I gave to Chris when I first got here."

"I don't understand," Present Leo said, puzzled. "What would I want with a memory-restoring potion?"

Future Leo didn't reply, but he didn't need to because the meaning of his request suddenly dawned on his past self.

"You want to give me your memories of the other future," he realised.

"Yes," Future Leo confirmed.

"Why?"

Closing his eyes for a brief moment, Future Leo drew in a deep breath and began to explain…

**

* * *

Chapter 16 **

"I suppose I never really thought through the consequences of my coming here," he said with a heavy sigh. "My presence in this time hasn't really affected my sons' future in anyway. All it's done is relieve some of my emotional pain."

"That's not true," Present Leo contradicted his other self's assessment. "We wouldn't know the truth about Chris if it wasn't for you - and Piper and I would still be separated."

Future Leo shook his head. "You would have found out about Chris sooner or later. He was never going to be able to keep that secret forever. He loves his family too much. He slipped up because I was in danger, but any one of you would've produced the same effect."

"As for Piper – the two of you would've found your way back to each other in time. I know myself and I know my wife – we've had our difficulties over the years, but somehow we always come out of the other end of them together."

Future Leo paused for a brief moment before he resumed vocalising his internal musings. "No, my reasons for coming back here were entirely selfish. When I found a way round Wyatt's spell, I had to use it. I'd already lost one son and I couldn't bear the thought of the other thinking ill of me – Chris was all I had left in the world, you see. My decision has eased my heartache, yes, but what has it really given to my son?"

"He knows that his father always loved and cared for him for a start," Present Leo replied.

"And now I'm going to abandon him. Oh, I know you're still going to be here. I don't deny the importance of that, but Chris was right about one thing - you can't really know what it was like in our future; he will have to carry that burden alone."

Future Leo stopped and looked out over the San Francisco skyline, his blue-green eyes filled with unreadable emotions.

"Sometimes I think it might have been better if he went on thinking I was a bad father to him," he said quietly. "That way when he returned to the new future, there would be nothing that he'd really miss from the first one – his mother would still be alive, his brother would be his brother again, and his father would be a vast improvement on the previous version."

"But he'd be believing in a lie."

"And would that be so bad if it eased his suffering?"

"It wouldn't really though, would it? You said it yourself - this Chris will live on in parallel with his future self. I could be Super Dad, but it still wouldn't take away the hurt of his other father being apparently indifferent to him. If you ask me, him knowing that you truly loved him is better than him believing that you didn't."

Future Leo nodded. "Maybe you're right. I still feel responsible though – I couldn't protect him from all that happened and now he has to deal with the consequences without me. I guess I just want to leave a part of myself behind, so that he doesn't have to do that."

"By giving me your memories."

"Yes," Future Leo confirmed, turning to look at his past self. "So what do you think?"

Present Leo shifted uncomfortably, torn in two. It seemed like a straightforward decision, only somehow it wasn't.

"What's the problem?" Future Leo asked, sensing his other self's unease.

"It's kind of selfish really," Present Leo admitted candidly.

"What is?"

"I want to help Chris, of course I do, he's my son. Only…," Leo broke off, not sure how to articulate what he was feeling.

He tried again, this time from a different starting point. "It's hard, you know – watching him with you. I have another son – only he's not a helpless babe, he's a fully-grown – extremely neurotic – adult, and he already has a father, one who he obviously loves. The need to bond with him, to be a proper part of his life is still there within me though. It's just…"

"My presence is stopping you from getting close to him," Future Leo finished.

Present Leo nodded. "I want him to accept me for me, not because I've become you. Does that make any sense?"

"Yes, funnily enough it does - although it is kind of crazy. I mean, technically we're the same person, and yet you're jealous of me for what I already have with our son, and I'm jealous of you because you get to witness what Chris – and Wyatt – make of the rest of their lives."

"I guess I didn't think of that," Present Leo said with wistful sigh.

"I'm not asking you to become me anyway," Future Leo continued. "For a start, I don't plan on giving you all my memories, it's way too risky. Some things should remain under wraps. I was going to limit it to the Chris related stuff, although you will get some other family bits and pieces to put that into proper context."

"Can you really do that? Limit what memories you give me, I mean."

Future Leo nodded. "Wyatt only altered Chris's memories of me, no one else. This is a similar thing in reverse. I'll be giving you the memories, not removing them."

"I suppose."

"Just because you take on my memories doesn't mean that you'll stop being you. You've not lived my life – really, truly experienced it, I mean – and this won't change that. At the end of the day, it'll still be you who is there to support Chris in the future - you'll just be armed with a little extra knowledge to help you understand him better, that's all."

Present Leo nodded. "When you put it that way, I can't see how I can object."

His future self was more hesitant however. "Maybe you should think about it for a while longer," he suggested. "I'm not leaving until tomorrow night, so you have until the morning to make up your mind. What I'm asking is no walk in the park, you understand. The future is not very pleasant and many of those memories are extremely painful."

Leo's expression turned grave as his counterpart continued to spell out what he would be taking on if he agreed to his request.

"What's more, I'm asking you to accept them all in one go. Chris had enough trouble dealing with his bad memories being swapped for better ones, never mind this. It's not something that should be taken lightly. Only you can know if you can handle it or not. You'll be no use to either of our sons if you come apart at the seams. That's why the decision has to be yours and yours alone."

Leo sighed as his future self fell silent. "Nothing is ever simple in this family, is it?"

"I guess if we wanted a simple existence, we probably shouldn't have fallen in love with a Charmed One," Future Leo answered with a wry smile.

"Probably not," Present Leo agreed. "Was it worth it though?" he asked his other self, after a beat

"Totally," Future Leo replied without hesitation. "Despite everything, the good still far outweighs the bad. My marriage was happy, I have two incredible sons – yes, one of them has seriously gone off the rails but it's not his fault. The evil he was deliberately infected with has gradually taken over everything that he used to be. I only have to look at his younger brother to see what he could have become though. Together they would have changed the world for the better, I'm certain of it."

"Hopefully they still can."

"Hopefully," Future Leo softly concurred. "Well – I guess we should be getting back. I have less than twenty-four hours left, and I want to spend some quality time with my son while I still have the chance."

Present Leo nodded. "Be prepared for twenty questions from the girls," he warned. "You can't just mysteriously summon me away and not explain why."

Future Leo laughed as he stood up and prepared to orb back to the Manor. "No? Just watch me. You have a lot to learn, buddy."

Together, they orbed into the attic, only to find it empty. "Downstairs," they said in unison as they simultaneously sensed for their family and quickly discovered their whereabouts.

They found the girls, and Chris, seated round the dining table with mugs of Piper's homemade hot chocolate in front of them. A wide-awake Wyatt sat in his brother's lap, happily treating the table top as a drum as he banged on the smooth wood with the flats of his tiny hands.

"Dada!" he said brightly, spotting the two Leos before any of the others noticed their presence. The little boy didn't seem at all phased by the fact that his father suddenly existed in duplicate. Surprisingly, he appeared to be treating the whole thing as a normal, everyday occurrence.

"So, what's with all the clock and dagger stuff?" Phoebe asked, as soon as Present Leo had slid into the chair beside Piper and his future counterpart had sat down next to their sons.

"Told you," Leo said to his other self across the table.

"Just a little Elder to Elder chat is all," Future Leo calmly told the three inquisitive sisters. "It's nothing you need concern yourself with."

"Aka - butt out cus we ain't gonna tell you," Paige quipped in response to his infuriatingly uninformative answer.

Future Leo grinned at his sister-in-law. "Well done, you're catching on quick," he replied sardonically, before reaching out to tickle little Wyatt under the chin.

The small boy erupted into a stream of delighted giggles and bounced up and down on Chris's knee, causing his brother to laugh out loud. "You've so gotta let me have some film of this," he said. "It's perfect bribery material. All I've got to do is get my other self to threaten to show it to Sarah in fourteen years time, and we can have anything we want."

Taking a wriggling Wyatt from his younger brother's arms, Future Leo smiled, glad that Chris was already thinking in terms of a better future, despite the gravity of situation still facing them.

"Who's Sarah?" Piper asked.

"Wyatt's first girlfriend," Future Leo replied, smoothing his hand over his little boy's blond curls as he settled the baby comfortably in his lap. "He was completely besotted with her."

"Tell me about it," Chris said with an exaggerated roll of his eyes. "Talk about pathetic with a capital 'P'."

"Let me guess," Piper said, recalling her own reaction to Prue's first boyfriend. "You ribbed him about it at every available opportunity?"

"Of course, what else are little brothers for?" Chris replied with a wide grin.

His mother smiled, glad to be sharing some happier memories of her eldest son for once.

"'Iss," Wyatt suddenly piped up, pointing his tiny finger at his brother.

"Yeah, that's right sweetie, that's Chris," Piper crooned to her little son. "Aren't you a clever boy?

"And who's this, hey?" she added, tapping him lightly on the tummy with her fingertip.

"Wat," Future Leo replied with a chuckle.

"Huh?"

"It's what Chris used to call him when he was tiny," the Elder explained. "He couldn't quite get his mouth around 'Wyatt,' so our eldest became 'Wat' for a few years."

"Wat and Iss," Paige said with teasing sidelong glance at her nephew. "It's got a certain ring to it, don't you think? Maybe you should think about changing their names."

"I always thought ''Age and Ee-be' were far more entertaining actually," Future Leo cut in, making the sisters laugh.

"Okay, can we change the subject please?" Chris said plaintively.

"Why?" Paige exclaimed with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Telling embarrassing childhood stories is the best fun!"

"You could at least spread the ritual humiliation around a bit," her nephew grumbled.

"He's got a point there," Phoebe said to her sister, resting her chin in her cupped hands. "So - did I ever tell you about the time when Piper…"

Future Leo sat back as his sister-in-law regaled a somewhat embellished tale of one of his wife's more embarrassing childhood exploits much to Chris's amusement and Piper's chagrin. The eldest Charmed One immediately countered with an outlandish story about Phoebe, and the rest of the evening passed in a feast of family togetherness, a happenstance that Leo was extremely grateful for.

He was acutely aware of his rapidly approaching departure, and knew that tonight could have very easily descended into a long-drawn out, maudlin goodbye, something he wished to avoid at all costs. There were things that he and Chris needed to say to each other, but dwelling on their impending separation wouldn't do either of them any good.

This impromptu family reminiscing session was therefore a welcome distraction from the more painful emotions occupying his mind. He would face the realities of bidding a final farewell to his son, and the rest of his family, in the morning.

**_

* * *

Piper and Leo's bedroom, two am… _**

Leo stood at the window, gazing up into the moonlit night sky with unseeing eyes. His future self's words were reverberating around inside his head, keeping him awake.

_Only you can know if you can handle it or not. You'll be no use to either of our sons if you come apart at the seams._

Leo looked back at Piper, who was sleeping peacefully in their bed. The truth was, he didn't know whether he could handle it. His beloved son an evil tyrant and his precious wife dead and gone, murdered in front of her children in cold blood. To hear the story was bad enough, but actually knowing it for real was something else entirely. It was easily his worst nightmare, a nightmare his other self – and their sons – had lived through.

Which is what it all came down to in the end - Chris would never forget. The other future was something that would haunt him for the rest of his life and Leo simply couldn't allow him to go through that alone. When push came to shove, he would endure anything for his sons' sake, so his decision was pretty much cut and dried. The prospect still twisted his insides into painful knots however.

"Leo, are you okay?" Piper's soft, sleep-slurred voice came from behind him.

Leo turned away from the window to face her. "Yeah – I'm fine. I've just got a few things on my mind, that's all."

"To do with what your future self wanted to speak to you about?" Piper asked, looking up at him with enquiring eyes.

Leo smiled, realising the 'Elder-to-Elder chat' subterfuge hadn't fooled his wife in the slightest. "Yes," he replied, knowing there was no point lying about it.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Leo shook his head. "No, I think it's decision I have to make on my own."

"Okay, just as long as you're sure."

"I am."

"Come back to bed, honey," Piper gently urged, turning back the covers and patting the mattress beside her. "I'm sure everything will be clearer in the morning."

Leo rejoined her in their bed and she snuggled up to him, resting her cheek on his chest and filling his nostrils with the sweet smell of her hair. He sighed and kissed the top of her head, tugging her closer to him.

"Go back to sleep," he murmured softly into her hair, closing his eyes as his breathing evened out.

Ten minutes later, they were dead to the world, wrapped tightly in each other's arms as they slept soundly through the rest of the night.

_**

* * *

Wyatt's nursery, four am… **_

With a heavy sigh, Future Leo finally gave up on sleep. Throwing back the covers, he got up from the sofa and walked across the room on silent feet. Chris was fast asleep, lying curled up on his side, with his face resting on his upturned palm and his other arm draped across his middle.

Leo stood quietly for a few moments, memorising his son's features for future reference. It scared him to think that he might actually forget what Chris looked like as time went by. The only thing that had kept him going over the past few years was breaking Wyatt's spell and regaining his younger son's affections. Now that he achieved that goal, he was being forced to walk away for good. He just hoped that the timeline shifted, and he ceased to exist, before the loss of his family became too much for him to bear.

Tiptoeing towards the door, he slipped out of the bedroom and onto the first floor landing, taking care not to wake Chris as he did so. Slowly making his way downstairs, he went into the kitchen and searched in the various drawers for a pad of paper, some envelopes and a pen. Once he'd located the items he wanted, he sat down and scrawled a different name across the front of six individual envelopes. He ripped the top sheet of paper from the pad, bent his head over the table, and began to write.

By six o'clock, he had finished each letter, sealed them in their retrospective envelopes, and tucked them away in a drawer for safekeeping. As he finished clearing away his writing utensils, he heard footsteps on the stairs and looked up just in time to see his other self entering the kitchen, still dressed in his pyjamas.

They gazed at each other in silence for a few moments before Present Leo finally spoke.

"Okay, I'll do it," he said calmly, although his eyes were filled with dread. "Give me the potion."

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

Re: Nubilina** Sorry, but Chris will be lacking in romance in this. The story is more about family relationships, especially father/son ones. Things are about to reach crisis point on the saving Wyatt front as well, so he doesn't really have much time for anything beyond that. Read my other story 'Unrequited' if you want to see Chris getting a little lurve – LOL! 

**Re: Phoebe Turner, Phoebe-x15, Martina G and IcantthinkofaFnick **Yeah, you're all right with your guesses about Future Leo's motives. Hopefully you've already read this chapter and found that out!


	17. The Memory Potion

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Funny, I thought this was going to turn out to be a short chapter, but somehow it's ended up being nearly a page longer than normal – very strange – guess I just like to waffle :-)

Replies to reviews at the end.

**_

* * *

Last time… _**

They gazed at each other in silence for a few moments before Present Leo finally spoke.

"Okay, I'll do it," he said calmly, although his eyes were filled with dread. "Give me the potion."

**

* * *

Chapter 17 **

Future Leo let out his breath in a rush. "Is everyone still asleep?" he asked.

His present self nodded. "Yes, they will be for a few more hours."

"Sleep dust?" Future Leo guessed.

"I figured we wouldn't want to be disturbed."

After nodding in agreement with his counterpart's actions, Future Leo held out his hand. "Potion," he said in a commanding tone.

A small bottle of green liquid orbed into the centre of his upturned palm, and he carefully placed it on the breakfast counter between them. He then lifted his gaze to look his other self directly in the eye.

Gulping back the apprehensive lump in his throat, Present Leo reached out to pick up the glass container, but was prevented from doing so when his future self's hand suddenly shot out and caught him by the wrist.

"Wait!"

"I'm sure," Present Leo quickly assured him.

"It's not that, I… there are some letters, bottom drawer of the bureau in the hall, right at the back. Umm… the top one's for you, you'll want to read that before you deliver the others."

"Okay."

"I just wanted you to know about them before…," Future Leo broke off with a sigh. "We don't know for sure how my memories are going to affect you. But, if I was to take a wild guess, I think you might be knocked sideways for a little while."

Present Leo nodded, and then finally picked up the potion and twisted off the cap. "Do I just drink it?" he asked, looking down into the neck of the bottle at the emerald-green liquid inside.

"Pretty much – we need to be in physical contact when you do though, so that my memories can be transferred to you."

Present Leo promptly offered his hand to his future self, who took it in a firm grasp. "Okay then," he said, a little shakily. "It's now or never, I suppose."

Setting the bottle to his lips, he tipped his head back and poured the liquid down his throat. The potion tasted bitter and he gagged slightly as he swallowed it down. However, apart from making him feel sick to the stomach, nothing happened.

"I don't think it's working… arghh!"

Present Leo clutched at his head as it suddenly exploded in excruciating pain. A series of rapid disjointed images began to flash before his eyes, but he couldn't make any sense of them. They were coming so fast that his overtaxed brain couldn't keep up.

Future Leo winced as his other self's fingers closed around his like a vice, the pain cutting through the uncomfortable pins and needles sensation that had started up in his hand and arm as soon as the memory transfer had begun. This went on for perhaps two minutes before the strange numbness subsided. Gradually, the feeling returned to his body, telling him that the process was complete – from his side at least anyway.

Present Leo continued to hold his head in his hands though, breathing heavily as the jumble of additional memories slotted into their rightful place in his mind. To start with, it had just been an overload of indecipherable information, but now the emotional impact of his other self's memories began to hit him and he swayed dangerously on his feet in reaction.

Grabbing his present self by the elbows, Future Leo steered him over to the table and gently urged him to sit down. Present Leo obediently took the weight of his legs and lowered himself into the chair with an audible thud. He remained doubled over with his face in his hands however, desperately trying to process the avalanche of extra knowledge that had been given to him. A myriad of emotions overwhelmed him as snapshots of his other self's life pushed their way, one after the other, to the forefront of his mind…

_**Click…**_

_Wondrous joy – a tiny bundle wrapped in a blue blanket, another boy with a chubby, round face and a few wispy strands of dark hair. _

"_Congratulations Mr Wyatt, he's perfectly healthy."_

_**Click…**_

_Inner happiness – a small brown-haired boy looking up at him with trusting green eyes, his little face painted with the stripy mask of a tiger. _

"_Can we go on the Ferris Wheel now, Daddy?" _

_**Click…**_

_Suppressed Laughter – two boys this time – about seven or eight, one blond, one brunette - their earnest faces smudged with mud, their hair sticking out in all directions, and their clothes torn and dirty. _

"_You were doing WHAT?" _

"_Summoning the Swamp Sprite, Mommy." _

"_He's fairly harmless, Piper – mischievous rather than evil." _

"_That's not the point – what next? An Ogre?"_

_**Click…**_

_Fatherly Pride – "Mom? Dad? You home?" _

"_In the kitchen, sweetie." _

"_I won! I actually won!" _

"_Won what, honey?" _

"_The spell writing competition at school – I even beat Wyatt. How cool is that, huh?"_

_**Click…**_

_Traumatic Shock – a dark-haired teenager – clearly Chris – visibly trembling, his green eyes stark with horror, his hands and the front of his t-shirt stained red with drying blood. _

"_I tried to help her, Dad – I tried." _

"_I know, son. I know."_

_**Click…**_

_Overwhelming Grief – Piper, his beloved wife of nearly twenty years, pale and lifeless in a solid oak coffin. Dressed in her favourite navy-blue and cream dress, with soft tendrils of her dark hair curling round her beautiful face, her chocolate-brown eyes were heartbreakingly closed forever._

_**Click…**_

_Parental Concern – "Where are you going?" _

"_Out." _

"_Out where?" _

"_What does it matter, Dad?" _

"_We were supposed to be going to the movies, remember? Your Aunt Phoebe was going to come over and…" _

"_Baby-sit mental case Chris?" _

"_That isn't funny, Wyatt. Your brother is sick." _

"_He's got one foot in the loony bin, you mean." _

"_Wyatt!" _

"_Whatever, I'm outta here. I don't have time for this crap."_

_**Click…**_

_Utter helplessness – Chris, about seventeen, his right eye swollen shut, his bottom lip split and oozing blood. _

"_Oh my God! What did he do to you?" _

"_He took Aunt Phoebe and Paige, Dad." _

"_But he left you and your cousins behind?" _

"_We're supposed to pass on a message." _

"_Which is what?" _

"_He said to 'Tell the Elders and Daddy to butt out of my business if they know what's good for them. Remind them that I have the power to bring them down if I choose.' He doesn't though, does he, Dad?... Dad?"_

_**Click…**_

_Crushing Emotional Pain – "Chris..." _

"_Don't! Just don't, okay? I'm sorry your precious son is Mr Evil Incarnate, but don't expect me to be a substitute. You never cared about me before, why start now?" _

"_Chris – that isn't true, of course I care about you – you're my son, I love you." _

"_Love? Huh! If that's your definition of the word, then I suggest you look it up in the dictionary. While you're at it, check out neglect, ignore and abandon too!" _

"_Chris please! I know this seems real to you, but it isn't, I think that Wyatt…" _

"_Just go away, Leo. Go back to Elderland and do what you do best – agonise endlessly over your first-born, and forget about the fact that your second son exists."_

_**Click…**_

"Oh God! I think I'm going to be sick."

Bolting out his chair, Present Leo stumbled across the kitchen, and made it out into the back yard just in time. Bending over at the waist, with one hand braced against the wall, he emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground, heaving and retching until nothing else would come up.

Pale and shaking, he slumped to the ground, his trembling legs too weak to hold him upright. Unable to hold back the grief any longer, he covered his mouth with his hands and began to sob uncontrollably, salty tears of pain and sorrow pouring, unchecked, down his pallid cheeks.

Future Leo watched in concern as his present self struggled to come to terms with events that he himself had had eight, long and painful years to deal with.

"Come on," he said quietly, hooking his hand under his other self's elbow and helping him to his feet. "Let's go back inside."

Present Leo followed him aimlessly, shuffling along like a zombie, still in state of deep shock. They passed through the kitchen and went into the conservatory, which was flooded with the warm golden light of the early morning sun. Future Leo pushed his present self down into a chair before turning and heading back into the kitchen. Selecting a few ingredients from the magical stores cupboard, he filled a glass with cold water from the faucet and added a pinch of each, swirling the cup to mix the concoction together. The water fizzed and turned pale pink and he nodded in satisfaction.

Dampening a soft facecloth with warm water, he took that and the drink he'd prepared back through into the conservatory. His other self hadn't moved an inch while he'd been gone. Frozen in the same position, he sat with his shoulders hunched and his hands resting limply in his lap, while his wide, unseeing eyes stared straight ahead.

"Here," Future Leo instructed, carefully placing the cup in his other self's hands. "Drink this. It'll make you feel better."

On autopilot, Present Leo lifted the glass to his lips and took a few sips of the slightly syrupy liquid. A feeling of calm immediately came over him, dulling the emotional pain somewhat and allowing him to think a little straighter.

"What is it?" he asked hoarsely, lifting the glass to eye-level and peering owlishly at the rose-coloured drink.

"Just something that Paige used to brew up for Chris when his emotions became too much for him to handle. It took him a while to get back onto an even keel after he'd come out of his catatonic state."

Present Leo nodded as his future self's words sparked one of his new memories. "He wrecked his room," he recalled.

"Yeah, but it was better than him not speaking, believe me. Angry emotional outbursts I could handle, the eerie silence was just frightening."

"I can imagine." Present Leo replied. Taking the damp cloth from his future counterpart, he wiped his face and mouth with it, and then set it to one side. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Are you going to be okay?"

Present Leo sighed. "I think so. I just… I need some time to process it all."

"Is it alright if I leave you to it once the others are up? I was kind of hoping that Chris and I could spend the day together. I want us to make the most of the time we have left."

"Sure go ahead. Are you going to tell him about this?"

Future Leo shook his head. "No, I think it should come from you. You did this for him, not me. You never know, it might help to break the ice between the two of you after I leave."

"I hope so."

A beat then, "You will take care of him – and Wyatt – after I'm gone, won't you?"

"Always," Present Leo vowed. "They will not grow up in the same world, I promise you. I will do everything in my power to make sure of that."

Future Leo nodded. "I guess my sacrifice will be worth it then," he quietly concluded.

**_

* * *

A few hours later… _**

Chris slowly drifted into wakefulness, although it felt like he was swimming through a sea of molasses. His eyes were gritty with sleep and his head ached as if he'd consumed too much beer the night before. All he'd had to drink was his mother's hot chocolate though, so he couldn't be suffering from a hangover.

With a low groan, he rolled over onto his side and was astonished to discover the time – ten o'clock – he hadn't slept in that late for years. A quick glance at the sofa, with its neatly folded bedding, told him that his father was already up. Flinging back the bedcovers, he swung his legs over the edge of the mattress and got to his feet, raising his arms above his head to work out the kinks in his muscles.

Grabbing some clean boxer shorts, his jeans and a t-shirt, he padded over to the door and hastened down the corridor to the bathroom to take a shower. His throbbing headache gradually faded as he stood under the cascade of hot water, and he started to feel more like himself again. It was then that it hit him full force. This was it, today his father would leave and his last link to the other future would be gone for good.

He didn't know how to feel. The situation was a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he longed for a happier, more peaceful future for himself and his family; on the other, losing the future version of his father filled him with dread. Now the effects of Wyatt's spell had waned, Chris was all too aware that Leo had been the one constant in his topsy-turvy life, and he desperately needed to hold onto that lifeline.

In his heart of hearts, he knew that he couldn't however. Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, and this was one of them. If his father stayed in this time any longer, he would risk throwing the balance out and all Chris's efforts to date would come to nought. He had come here on a mission to save Wyatt at whatever cost, and he would follow that through until the bitter end and beyond if necessary. Of that, he was absolutely certain.

With a heavy sigh, he shut off the water, climbed out of the shower and dried himself off. Once dressed, he made his way downstairs in search of some breakfast. The manor was suspiciously quiet and he realised that he wasn't the only one who had slept in late. There was none of the usual morning bustle and there was something slightly odd about that. His baby big brother wasn't exactly known for his late starts in the morning, so he would have expected his mother to be out of bed at the very least.

He didn't have time to ponder on the whys and wherefores of that strange anomaly however, because the low hum of voices reached his ears. He followed the sound through into the conservatory and discovered both versions of his father sitting drinking coffee and talking quietly to each other.

They were both fully dressed, but neither were wearing their identification badges. Luckily, Chris had grown much more adept at telling them apart, and he quickly established that the older version of his Dad was the one on the right. Sitting on the left, Present Leo looked pale and shaky and a light sheen of sweat glistened on his forehead. He appeared to be ill, but that didn't make any sense. Elder's couldn't get sick, at least Chris didn't think they could.

"Good Morning Dads," he said brightly, making his presence known to the room's two occupants. "Are you all right?" he asked, directing his question at Present Leo.

"He's not feeling too good," Future Leo answered for his counterpart.

"Probably something I ate," Present Leo added with a forced smile.

Chris opened his mouth to ask the obvious question, but the future version of his father cut in before he could get a word out.

"So son – what do you say to you and me getting out of here for a while and spending some time together, like we used to before… well, before all of this."

Chris nodded. "I'd like that," he said softly, forcibly blinking back the sudden tears that pricked at the back of his eyelids.

"Good. How about the Zoo?"

"Err - how about not?" Chris immediately countered with an exaggerated grimace.

Future Leo smiled. "I thought you liked the Zoo," he said with mock innocence.

"No – Mom and Wyatt liked the Zoo; I only endured it because I had to."

Future Leo laughed. "All right then – what do you suggest?"

"Umm – well, how about we get some breakfast first? I know this great little diner, just round the block from P3. And then we could… umm, now let's see…"

Chris stopped as if he was thinking about it, but the telltale quirking of his lips clued his father in.

"No, no way," he said in dismay.

"Aww Dad, come on – it'll be fun."

"What'll be fun?" Present Leo asked curiously, searching through his new memories for an answer.

"You don't want to know," his future counterpart replied with a shudder.

"He enjoys it really," Chris said conspiratorially to his other father.

"Enjoys what?" Present Leo was at a loss.

"Rollerblading," his son told him with a mischievous grin.

"Oh… oh right," Present Leo said with a sympathetic glance at his future self as it all clicked into place.

"Our son was a rollerblading fiend. Do what you can to discourage that in the future, won't you? It'll save you no end of painful bruises and embarrassing tumbles, believe me."

"Hey! Spoil my fun, why don't you?"

"What else are fathers for?" Future Leo answered with a smile, then shook his head. "I still don't get why you liked it so much."

Chris sobered at his father's comment. "You want the truth?" he confessed. "It was because it was pretty much the only thing I was better at than Wyatt. Dumb huh?"

"No – understandable actually. I know it was difficult for you growing up in his shadow."

"It didn't bother me that often – just sometimes, you know?"

"I know," Future Leo replied sombrely before attempting to lighten the mood. "Okay – so rollerblading it is. I think I can stand the humiliation one last time."

Chris looked down, not wanting to be reminded that the time of his father's departure was growing ever nearer. Sensing his discomfort, Future Leo slipped a comforting arm around his son's shoulders and gently hugged him.

"Hey come on," he said softly. "I know this is difficult, but let's just make the most of it, okay?"

Chris gave him a watery smile, and then drew in a deep breath and bravely squared his shoulders. "Okay."

Future Leo nodded. "Good – shall we go then?"

"Wait a minute," Present Leo suddenly said, getting to his feet and crossing to the large cabinet that stood against one wall. He rummaged around in the bottom drawer and produced a camera, complete with a new roll of film.

"To record the embarrassing tumbles for posterity," he told them with a smile.

Chris astonished him by leaning forward and giving him a quick hug before he took the camera from his grasp. "Thanks," he said quietly, his voice thick with suppressed emotion.

"There's a store that does one-hourly processing a few blocks from here," he said to Future Leo, guessing that Chris wasn't the only one who would like to keep pictures of the day.

"Yeah, I remember," his future self replied. "But thanks for the suggestion anyway."

"Shouldn't we let Mom know where we're going?" Chris asked then.

"I tell her," Present Leo assured him. "Don't worry."

"I wasn't worried. I was just… okay so I was worried. Mom always got kind of pissed when I didn't tell her where I was going. Somehow I think the fact that I'm twenty-one now won't make much of difference."

Present Leo laughed, despite everything that was weighing on his mind. "I think you could be right," he agreed. "I'll explain things, I promise. Just go and enjoy yourselves."

As the front door closed behind Chris and his future father, Wyatt started wailing for attention, the effects of the sleep-dust having finally worn off. Leo sighed heavily and trudged up the stairs to see to his son, hoping against hope that the cruel, heartless grown-up Wyatt of his other self's memory was someone that he, personally, never had to meet.

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

**

**Re: MzPink** Re: the episode – it was called 'Forget Me Not', I think. He was engaged to Bianca, but it was the one where they all forgot about Wyatt because the Cleaners erased him from reality after he orbed the dragon out of the TV, so I guess he could just about be excused for his shocking behaviour! On the other hand, maybe not. Little bit of a boo-boo by the scriptwriters, I think.

**Re: Victorious Light – **thanks for sharing! LOL!

**Re: Altaira** – I meant Leo's motives for wanting his past self to have his memories. Sorry if that wasn't clear.

**Re: Martina G** - 'Is there no way he can stay until the end of the story?' I know, now that I'm at this point I don't want to him to leave either. Unfortunately he has to go, but he'll still be around in spirit now that the other Leo has his memories.


	18. Saying Goodbye

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hey! Finally another update for you. Not a very happy one though – I couldn't avoid the sadness that colours this chapter. Chris and Future Leo's parting was never going to be anything other than super emotional.

Thanks for all the reviews.

**Re: Chattypandagurl – **thanks for the warning. I'd missed the recent update to the rules.

**Re: jenna51980 **– always glad to welcome a new reader :-)

**Re: CharmedOne24** – I can't really answer your question about Chris without giving away some of the plot, so you'll have to wait and see.

**Re: Joskers – **the last few chapters have been very Leo-centric because of the plotline. Chris will be moving back towards centre stage soon though. I suppose this is more of a Leo-Chris father-son story rather than just a Chris one however.

**Re: Septdeneuf & Martina G & IcantthinkofaFnick **– Chris finds out about the memory transfer in a couple of chapters time. I wanted Present Leo to tell him rather than Future Leo.

**Re: TriGemini** – thanks for the big review – it's nice to hear your thoughts about specific parts of the chapter.

**Re: Victorious Light & ilovedrew88 – **there'll be more flashbacks of Chris/Wyatt growing up as the story progresses towards its conclusion – some cute, some not so cute with Wyatt being nasty to poor Chris :-(

**Just for anyone who's forgotten where we're at: **It's the day of Future Leo's departure. Present Leo has taken on Future Leo's memories of their younger son, and Chris and his father have gone out to spend some time together before he leaves.

**

* * *

Chapter 18**

Chris stared glumly down into his cappuccino, absently stirring it with a spoon, his mind elsewhere. It didn't matter how hard he tried to pretend this was just a normal day, the time of his father's departure was rapidly approaching and he couldn't think of anything else.

"Chris…"

Future Leo's quiet voice cut through his reverie and he immediately raised his gaze from his coffee cup, his green eyes glassy with emotion.

"I'm sorry – I just… I can't pretend this isn't happening anymore, Dad."

Leo nodded. "I know, me neither. Come on – let's get out of here," he said, pushing aside his half-finished drink and getting to his feet.

The Elder tossed a five-dollar bill onto the table, and then the two of them left the small café and stepped back out onto the busy street. Weaving their way through the steady stream of people going about their daily business, father and son walked a little ways along the sidewalk, and then ducked into a narrow alleyway to get out of sight of the general populous.

"So where to?" Chris asked.

"I think I know somewhere," Leo answered. "Follow me."

He promptly disappeared in a swirl of blue lights and Chris, heeding his father's instructions, quickly orbed out after him. Moments later, they reappeared in a small clearing, somewhere deep in the woods. Refracted beams of sunlight filtered down through the trees, and the lush, springy grass was covered in a multi-coloured patchwork of wild flowers where the golden rays hit the ground.

"What is this place?" Chris asked curiously, quickly sensing the strange, unearthly power that hung in the air.

"A meditation zone," his father told him.

"Huh?"

Leo smiled at his son's confusion. "The Elder's are big on listening to one's inner instincts. They've set up several of these zones both here on earth, and up there, to facilitate in the process."

Chris nodded. "Okay, but why have you brought me here? Please tell me that you don't expect me to sit cross-legged on the floor and hum."

Leo laughed and shook his head. "No - I don't think you have the patience for that, do you?"

He walked across the clearing to sit in the shade of one of the trees. "I brought us here because we won't be disturbed," he explained as his son moved to join him. "I don't want anything left unsaid between us."

Chris looked down at the floor, biting on his lower lip. "I don't know what to say," he confessed. "I'm just… I'm sorry, I guess."

"For what?"

"For not seeing through Wyatt's spell. Maybe if I had, this wouldn't have been necessary. We could have worked together to get him back in our own time instead."

Leo shook his head. "No – I think this would have been necessary regardless. The combined power of the Elders hasn't been able to turn Wyatt back onto the right path. The only thing that could have done was the Power of Three, but since your Mom…"

Leo trailed off and looked over at his despondent son. "Let's face it - you're the one who came up with the only viable option to get Wyatt back. I'm so proud of you for that, you know. After everything you've been through, you could have easily given up. But you didn't - you kept on fighting and now there's a real chance that the future can be changed for the better."

"I had help," Chris pointed out modestly. He was secretly thrilled by the glowing praise though. The after-effects of Wyatt's spell still lingered and made him somewhat insecure about his status in his father's eyes.

"Oh, I agree you've got some very resourceful friends, but the idea was essentially yours, wasn't it?"

"Well yeah, I guess."

"Well then."

"It was sort of an accident though," Chris admitted. "Everyone was pressurising me to come up with a plan to limit Wyatt's power – like I had all the answers or something – and I kind of lost my temper. I think my outburst went something along the lines of 'What the hell do you expect me to do? It's not as if I can go back in time and stop him from turning evil, you know.' Cue the proverbial light-bulb moment."

"Well, however accidental the idea was, it has the potential to change the entire course of history. You should be rightly proud of yourself for that."

Chris nodded, but then his expression suddenly crumpled. "I'm sorry," he said brokenly, trying to choke back the sobs. "It just feels like you're about to die or something, and I've already lost Mom and Wyatt…"

Leo wrapped his arms comfortingly around his son's shaking shoulders as Chris finally gave into his grief.

"Listen to me – I love you and I'm so very proud of you. Don't ever forget that, okay? You will go on because that's who you are, and you won't be alone, I promise you. This time's version of your family loves you just as much as we did. It might not be quite the same, but it certainly won't be anything less."

"You promise?" Chris mumbled into his shirt, a little boy lost in a wilderness of his own making.

"I promise," Leo said confidently. "It's only right that you get to see the better future anyway – you're the one who will be responsible for it. I know it's scary, but it will be worth it, I'm sure."

"I'll still miss you."

Leo kissed the top of his son's bent head. "I'd be upset if you didn't," he admitted candidly. "But I don't want you to let our timeline define your life. I always wanted so much better for my boys, I'm relying on you to take the opportunity and run with it."

Chris lifted his tear-streaked face with a watery smile. "Great – no pressure then," he quipped.

Leo chuckled and affectionately ruffled his son's hair, despite his heavy heart. Chris looked back at him, his eyes red-rimmed and emotional.

"About not letting things go unsaid," he said gruffly.

"Yes?"

"I love you, Dad. I'm sorry I was so horrible to you – things could have been so different if…"

"No - no what ifs," Leo cut in. "What happened wasn't your fault and your reaction was perfectly understandable."

"I should have known."

"How, when your mind was telling you that I never really cared for you?"

"You're not going to let me take any of the blame, are you?" Chris asked ruefully.

"Nope," Leo shook his head, "Because you're not responsible."

"I feel responsible – I was pretty awful to the other you because of that. I mean, there was probably another way other than Valhalla."

"Then apologise to him, not me."

"He probably won't accept that I was responsible either though."

"More than likely, yes," Future Leo agreed. "But then he is me, so what do you expect? Ask his advice and I'm almost certain that he'll give you the same answer as I would. I think in time you'll start to understand that I'm not really gone at all. Not completely anyway. There'll always be a part of me here, because the other Leo is the man I used to be. Twenty more years of existence hasn't changed me that much."

"Just added a few pounds," Chris returned cheekily.

Leo playfully cuffed him, and then pulled him into another hug. "I love you, son," he said, his voice cracking with emotion.

**OOOOO**

"How long are they going to be?" Phoebe asked, somewhat grumpily.

"I don't know – why?" Leo replied a little distractedly, his thoughts focused on the new memories occupying his shell-shocked brain.

"Future You has to leave today. How are we supposed to say a proper goodbye to him when he's not around?"

"I think it's more important that he spends some time with Chris, don't you?"

"I guess," Phoebe admitted begrudgingly. "We're gonna miss him too though."

"Thanks," Leo said sarcastically. "Make me feel important, why don't you?"

"That's not what I meant. We love him because he is you – a more mature, battle-weary you."

Leo wasn't really listening; he was still contemplating the grim reality of the other future. Needing to be alone with his thoughts, he got to his feet and went out into the garden.

"Is he alright?" Phoebe asked Piper.

"I don't know," her sister said. "Something's going on between him and his other self, but he wouldn't tell me what it was last night – said he had to figure it out by himself."

"Maybe he's ready to talk now," Phoebe suggested.

"Maybe," Piper agreed with a nod. "I'll go and speak to him." She handed her sister a bowl of mushed-up cereal. "Can you give Wyatt his breakfast please?"

The dark-haired witch then went outside in search of her husband. She found him seated on a small bench at the far end of the garden, staring blankly off into space, his blue-green eyes dark with silent sorrow.

"Hey," she said quietly, sitting down beside him and reaching out to curl her fingers around his.

Leo tightened his hand around hers, but didn't respond to her softly spoken greeting. He sighed, closing his eyes, and Piper was concerned to see tears glistening on the end of his lashes.

"Honey – please tell me what's wrong," she urged gently. "I know you said that you didn't want to talk about it, but I think maybe you should, don't you?"

Leo opened his eyes again and wiped away the tears with the tips of his fingers. "I've seen it, Piper," he said, his voice hoarse and scratchy.

"Seen what?"

"The Future – well, some of it at least anyway."

"I don't understand."

"The other me – he was worried about Chris living in the new future haunted by memories of the old one. He asked me to take on some of his memories, so that I would understand and be able to help him deal with things."

"And you agreed?" Piper was shocked, but not all that surprised by his decision.

"Of course I did, Piper. He's my son – how could I not?"

His wife nodded in understanding. "So when?"

"This morning."

"It's bad, isn't it?" she asked fearfully.

"We already knew that, Piper."

"I know – it's just…"

"We won't let it happen again," Leo cut in firmly. "I don't want to ever have to look into my eldest son's eyes and see such coldness there - nor do I want to see the suffering in my youngest child's gaze because of it. We can't take away what Chris has already been through, but we can change things for the better. I know we can."

Piper rested her head on his shoulder and sighed. "Do you think it's ever going to stop being such a struggle?"

"We are who we are, Piper; we can't change that," Leo told her, slipping his arm around her slender shoulders and drawing her into his side. "We may not have a normal life, but we have what some people don't – love and plenty of it to go round. Chris wouldn't be here fighting tooth and nail for his brother if he didn't love him. God knows, Wyatt has given him reason enough to wash his hands of him – and yet he still risked everything to come here to try to save him."

"What do you mean 'reason enough'?" Piper asked, her stomach tightening at the thought of what those ominous words meant. "Oh God – Wyatt didn't torture him or something, did he?"

Leo shook his head. "No – at least not in the physical sense anyway. Chris took a beating from him a few times, but nothing much beyond that."

"That's bad enough, Leo," Piper said in a horrified tone.

"I know. I get the impression that Wyatt didn't really want to hurt Chris though – he just wanted him on side. I think that's why he deliberately set out to destroy my other self's relationship with him – he thought I was the reason that his brother refused to join him."

"Only you weren't."

"No – it seems our boy has more integrity than that," Leo said, a strong note of pride evident in his tone.

"I guess we're not completely horrible parents then," Piper decided.

Leo pressed a loving kiss to the top of her head. "It's not all bad," he reassured her. "My future self mainly gave me his memories of Chris, but there was a lot of Wyatt mixed in with all of that. You could see the potential for what he could have become in the boy he was. And, even after everything went bad, Chris was his Achilles Heel. He's incapable of killing him - or subduing him for that matter."

"Thank god!" Piper said fervently.

"Yes, but it shows that amidst all that darkness, there's still a trace of humanity there. Despite everything, he still loves his family in some shape or form. He may have made their lives a misery – but he's never really, truly hurt any of them. Phoebe, Paige and their children are still alive and well."

"Wyatt has our nieces and nephews imprisoned in the Underworld too?"

Leo shook his head. "No – myself and the Elders created a safe haven for them and a few others. It's like Magic School in a way, but on this plane of existence. Our nieces don't have the same kind of freedom to move about outside as our son does, but they're safe from harm."

"Just nieces?" Piper asked curiously.

Leo's lips curled up into a faint smile. "Yes, but you keep quiet about that, okay? I hate to say it, but Chris's 'future consequences' mantra is kind of important. We need to correct what went wrong; we don't want to change anything that went right."

Piper nodded and smiled, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Okay – it'll be kind of fun to know a few things that my sisters don't anyway. So – what else can you tell me?"

Leo laughed. "Nice try, honey," he said. "But I know you – I think I should follow our son's example and keep the future to myself from now on."

"Spoilsport!" Piper complained with a pout.

"You don't have to protect me, you know," she said seriously, after a beat.

"I'm not. Well alright, so maybe I am," he added off her look. "But I think that's for the best. You need to concentrate on what you have to do right here, right now, not worry about what might be."

"I want to be able to support our son too."

"And you will – just by being his mother. Believe me; if there's one thing that these other memories have taught me, then it's that our boys need their Mom. I think you can do that job much better if you're not overburdened with what might happen. Just love Chris for who he is, Piper, and you'll give him everything that he needs from you."

Piper simply looked at him in response, soft affection shining in her warm, brown eyes.

"What?" Leo asked her.

"I can't believe I ever thought I could exist without you in my life," she admitted. "It's funny, what seemed like such an insurmountable obstacle a few months ago, just doesn't anymore."

Leo pulled her close. "I pray that I never have to lose you prematurely like my other self did," he said, his voice thick with unfathomable sorrow.

Piper cupped his face in her hands and kissed him. "We're gonna change the future, Leo. I know we are," she said, suddenly confident about that fact. "I'm not going to leave you and our boys ever, I promise."

Leo wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly, holding onto to her like he was never going to let go. "I love you so much."

"I love you too."

Her husband drew back and looked down into her beloved face. "I think my other self needs to know that," he told her.

Piper's eyes opened wide. "You're not suggesting that I…?" she trailed off when she realised that she wasn't as uncomfortable with the idea as she should be. She felt more of a connection to her Leo, but the other one still stirred the same kind of feelings within her.

Leo shook his head. "No – I know he's me, but I'm not that tolerant. Just make sure he knows, okay? Don't leave him in any doubt. He's given me our son; I think I can give him back his wife for a few precious moments."

"You're a good man, Leo Wyatt."

"I try to be."

"Well, you succeed," Piper told him, and then drew his face down to hers for another kiss.

"So what exactly does not leaving him in any doubt mean?" she asked when they broke apart.

**OOOOO**

_**Several hours later…**_

Future Leo drew the familiar triquetra of the Charmed Ones on the attic wall in white chalk, and then stepped back with a heavy sigh.

"Okay, I guess this is it," he said, turning back to his family, who were all lined up in a row, ready to say goodbye to him.

Nobody moved for a minute, and then Paige took the bull by the horns and reached out to hug the future version of her brother-in-law. "I'm really going to miss you, you know," she told him as she released him.

"I'll still be here, Paige," he pointed out, exchanging a knowing look with his present self.

"You're supposed to say 'I'll miss you too,'" she playfully admonished him.

"I will," Future Leo replied. "Correction – I have."

"Can you get a message to our future selves?" Phoebe asked as she also stepped forward and embraced her brother-in-law.

Leo frowned. "I don't know, maybe. I don't want to arouse Wyatt's suspicions about where I've been – I think it's best that he remains unaware that I've had any contact with you. I'll do what I can, okay?"

"What about our children?"

Leo smiled. "Now _that_ I can do. What do you want me to tell them?"

"That we love them and are looking forward to meeting them," Phoebe said, looking over at her younger sister for confirmation.

Paige nodded in agreement. "And that we're going to move heaven and earth to make sure that there's a better future waiting for them when they arrive," she added.

Future Leo nodded. "I'll tell them," he vowed, and then turned to his other self, who stood holding little Wyatt in his arms.

"Take care of our family, okay?"

"Always."

"And the other stuff…"

"I will, I promise."

Future Leo nodded. "Thank-you," he said, and then awkwardly offered his hand to his other self to shake.

His present counterpart reached out to grasp it in his. "Okay, so still weird," he commented.

"Yeah," Future Leo agreed as they shook hands.

He then took his baby son out of his other self's arms. Smoothing his hand over Wyatt's blond mop of hair, he tenderly kissed the little boy on the cheek.

"I love you and I'll never give up on you," he said, hugging him close for a moment before handing him back.

Turning towards Piper, he was surprised to see tears in her eyes. "Hey! No crying, it's not allowed," he said, reaching out to touch her face with his hand.

His own voice was a little wobbly though – this was getting harder by the second. Twenty years younger she may be, but Piper was still his wife and he missed her so much.

Piper sniffed and wiped at the tear trickling down her cheek. "I know – it's just I look at you and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I married the right man. Not that I ever really thought that I didn't, but it's nice to have confirmation, you know."

Future Leo nodded, not trusting himself to speak. Piper lifted her arms and he stepped into them, tugging her close and burying his face in her wealth of silky hair. "I love you," he whispered softly in her ear.

Piper lifted her head, but didn't move out of the circle of his arms. "I love you too," she said firmly, and then surprised him by leaning forward and kissing him full on the lips.

Forgetting where he was, he tunnelled his fingers through her hair and deepened the embrace. He never had the chance to say a proper goodbye and he needed her to know how much he loved and missed her. Piper didn't pull back, but instead responded with passion, holding firmly onto his upper arms as he kissed her with everything that was in his heart. Finally though, he gentled the stormy embrace and reluctantly released her.

"Sorry," he said, looking a little guiltily over at his other self.

"Relax, we had his permission beforehand," Piper told him, gently touching his cheek with her fingers. "Oh and by the way – you're just as good a kisser as he is – funny that."

Future Leo laughed and kissed her forehead. "Goodbye, Piper."

Piper moved backwards but still held onto his hands. "Goodbye," she whispered softly.

Squeezing his fingers gently, she finally let go. Future Leo sucked in a deep breath and turned to his son. Chris's green eyes were as full of tears as Piper's had been, but he was refusing to let them fall.

"You just scarred me for life, you know," he joked shakily, referring to his parent's fervent embrace.

"Oh, you'll survive," Leo said thickly, also trying to hold back the tears.

In reality, he'd said goodbye to Wyatt and Piper a long time ago, but Chris… his youngest son was his lifeline and now he had to let him go as well. To a better life certainly, but it was a bereavement nevertheless. There were no words so he stepped forward and drew his boy into a tight hug.

Chris clung to him as if he was a life raft on the open sea, breathing heavily to control his emotions. He eventually gave up the battle though, and Leo felt the warm wetness of his son's tears on the skin of his neck. Rubbing the flat of his hand up and down Chris's back, he let the hug go on for a while longer, before he finally pulled back.

"I love you," he said for what must have been the umpteenth time that day. "Be strong, okay?"

"Okay, Dad."

Taking his son's face in his hands, Leo leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on Chris's forehead, and then turned towards the chalk-drawn triquetra.

"Ready?" Paige asked.

"As I'll ever be," Future Leo replied.

Closing his eyes, he listened as the three sisters began to speak in unison.

"In this place and in this hour,

We call upon the ancient power,

Open a portal in this place,

To send Leo home through time and space."

The ground shook and the triquetra began to glow blue as the time portal opened. Future Leo took a deep breath, shot one long, lingering look back over his shoulder at his son, and then stepped through it.

There was silence as the portal closed behind him and the attic wall became solid wood again. Finally though, Leo handed Wyatt to a quietly sobbing Phoebe and moved towards his other son. Chris was standing staring blankly at the chalk triquetra with tears pouring, unchecked, down his face.

"Chris," he said quietly, reaching out with sympathy towards the distraught witch-whitelighter.

"Don't!" Chris snapped, making his hand freeze in the act. "Just don't. I… just leave me alone!"

With that, he rushed from the room, leaving his worried family staring at the spot where he'd just been standing.

_**To be continued…**_

**Next chapter will be a bit happier, I promise!**


	19. Time to move on

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! Sorry for the big delay in updating both my stories. For various reasons, real life has been very busy and stressful recently, so I've hardly had any time to write. Anyway, things have calmed down now, so here is an update of 'False Memories'. I've put in a recap of the end of the last chapter, so you remember where we are.

All being well, 'Unrequited' should be updated in a few days time.

_**

* * *

Last time… **_

Taking his son's face in his hands, Leo leaned forward and planted a firm kiss on Chris's forehead, and then turned towards the chalk-drawn triquetra.

"Ready?" Paige asked.

"As I'll ever be," Future Leo replied.

Closing his eyes, he listened as the three sisters began to speak in unison.

"In this place and in this hour,

We call upon the ancient power,

Open a portal in this place,

To send Leo home through time and space."

The ground shook and the triquetra began to glow blue as the time portal opened. Future Leo took a deep breath, shot one long, lingering look back over his shoulder at his son, and then stepped through it.

There was silence as the portal closed behind him and the attic wall became solid wood again. Finally though, Leo handed Wyatt to a quietly sobbing Phoebe and moved towards his other son. Chris was standing staring blankly at the chalk triquetra with tears pouring, unchecked, down his face.

"Chris," he said quietly, reaching out with sympathy towards the distraught witch-whitelighter.

"Don't!" Chris snapped, making his hand freeze in the act. "Just don't. I… just leave me alone!"

With that, he rushed from the room, leaving his worried family staring at the spot where he'd just been standing.

**

* * *

Chapter 19 **

Several days later, Leo wandered into the kitchen to find Piper standing at the counter, vigorously stirring pancake batter in a bowl with a hand-whisk. Wyatt sat in his high chair nearby, happily eating a banana and some baby rusks soaked in milk.

"They're for Chris," Piper explained off her husband's quizzical look. "He said they were his favourite when I took him breakfast the day after your future self's arrival."

"And he's damn well going to eat them," she added fiercely, her tone belligerent.

Leo smiled, if anyone could coax Chris out of the blue funk that he'd been in for the past few days, then it would be Piper. Much to their relief, their son had only retreated as far as Wyatt's nursery when he'd fled the attic the other night. They had gradually come to realise that it must have been his room in the future, and Piper promptly set about making sure it stayed that way for the rest of his sojourn in the past, instructing Leo to clear out the small box-room next to theirs for Wyatt.

Chris had barely left his room since then however, only venturing out to visit the bathroom. Any attempts to engage him in conversation were met with monosyllabic answers and repeated requests to 'leave me alone.' The three square meals, which his mother was providing him with each day, mostly went untouched.

Piper had obviously decided that they'd let him wallow in his grief long enough now though, and was working herself up for a forthcoming battle of wills with her son. Piper versus Chris – he had his money on the former emerging as the eventual winner. His youngest child may have inherited his mother's obstinate streak, but Piper still held the title of 'Queen of Stubbornness' as far as Leo was concerned.

"And that family day out that we talked about a few days ago?" Piper continued as she expertly spooned some of the batter into the hot pan. "It's happening today, so no disappearing off 'up there,' understand?"

"Wouldn't dream of it," Leo told her with a grin. It wasn't as if he intended to go anywhere today anyway, especially not given what day it was.

His wife nodded in satisfaction. "Good – then you can get Wyatt ready while I deal with Chris. He is not spending another day locked in that room. I'll drag him out by his hair if I have to."

**OOOOO**

Chris lay curled up under the covers, staring blankly at the wall. He'd been awake for a couple of hours, but was yet to move from the bed.

All the fight had gone out of him after his father's departure, and he'd been crippled by emotional inertia ever since. The cloying sympathy of his family irritated, rather than comforted him. All he wanted was for them to go away, so that he could hide under the rumpled bedclothes and ignore the fact that his whole existence had been turned on its head.

He knew in his heart of hearts that he couldn't carry on like this forever, but he couldn't muster the energy to do anything about it right now. Instead, he let his melancholy overwhelm him, remaining closeted in his room where he didn't have to face up to the reality of his irrevocably changed life.

The door opened, but he didn't respond. It would just be his Mom with his breakfast. After the first day or so, she'd given up trying to get him to talk and had simply left his food on top of the chest of drawers. Hearing her set down the tray, he waited for the inevitable sound of the door closing behind her.

It didn't come however. Instead, the steady clip-clop of her footsteps crossed the room towards the window. With brisk efficiency, she pulled back the drapes and flooded the room with much needed light. Raising his hand to shade his eyes, Chris squinted against the sudden glare of bright sunlight, the shock forcing him up into a seated position.

"What are you doing?" he demanded of his resolute mother.

"Bringing you breakfast, which you're going to eat," she told him firmly. "And then, you are going to get up, take a shower, and shave that disgusting stuff off your face," she said, waving her hand at the several days worth of stubble shadowing his chin and upper lip.

"After that," she continued before he could even open his mouth to protest. "You, your father, brother and I are going out for the day."

"Like hell we are," he growled back. "What are we? The Brady Bunch?"

Piper's expression immediately turned frosty and Chris cringed back, despite his stubborn determination to remain aloof from his mother's mollycoddling. Geez! He was twenty-two - how could she still have so much power over him?

"Given the circumstances, I'll ignore that," she said calmly. "However, this wallowing in self-pity is going to stop, you hear me?"

"You don't understand!"

"Yes honey, I do - more than you know. You're a Halliwell though. When bad stuff happens, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and just get on with it. I know losing the last link to your future was tough, but it's not as if you don't still have family around to love you. There are lots of people in this world, who are much worse off than you are, you know."

As she was delivering this little lecture, Piper had walked over to retrieve his breakfast, and now stood by the bed, holding the tray of food in her hands. She raised her eyebrows expectantly and Chris gave in.

"Okay, I'll eat it," he said sulkily. "But I'm not going out."

"We'll see," Piper said as she calmly set the tray down over his lap.

Perching on the mattress next to him, she watched as he picked up the knife and fork and began to eat. As the familiar taste of his mother's cooking began to combat the cold emptiness inside, Chris finally admitted defeat. Raising his eyes to her face, he shot her a small, apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry, I just…"

"I know, it's okay," Piper returned, reaching out to squeeze his arm. "We promised your father that we'd take care of you though, and that's what we're going to do, whether you like it or not."

Chris nodded and lowered his eyes back to his plate. Moments later, he felt her warm lips against his forehead. "Happy Birthday, sweetie," she said softly, tenderly brushing his hair out of his eyes.

"How did you…? Oh right – Dad."

"Yes – he left you a present."

Chris's breath caught in his throat. "He did?" he asked hoarsely, unable to prevent the tears that welled up in his eyes at this information.

"Yes, but presents later. Eating and making yourself look presentable is the priority right now. No son of mine is going around resembling a vagrant."

Despite himself, Chris laughed. "Okay Mom," he agreed.

Piper smiled broadly. "Good," she said, getting to her feet. "That's the spirit."

"Mom?" Chris called as she reached the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Thanks."

"Any time, sweetie. Any time."

Chris sighed as the door closed behind her. Maybe his alternative life wasn't going to be so bad, after all.

**OOOOO**

Leo walked down the path towards his family, carrying three cups of take-out coffee in a small paper bag. As he drew closer, he smiled at the domestic scene that greeted him. Piper was seated on a blanket spread out on the grass, playing peek-a-boo with a giggling Wyatt, while their other son sat on a wooden bench nearby, watching them with a glimmer of a smile on his face.

Chris had been pretty quiet all day, but at least he had shaken off the black cloud of despair that had been hovering over him for the last few days. All too aware that he didn't match up to the father that Chris had so recently lost, Leo felt decidedly awkward around his youngest son. He was deeply envious of the easy relationship that Piper seemed to share with their second child, but had no idea how to break the ice between Chris and himself.

"One moccachino," he said, offering the hot drink to his wife.

Piper stood up, lifting Wyatt up into her arms and perching him on her hip. She then reached out to take the drink from her husband.

"Thanks," she said, before turning her attention back to the little boy in her hold. "Shall we go and see the ducks, Wyatt?" she asked in a singsong tone. "Would you like that, huh?"

Gurgling unintelligibly, Wyatt bounced up and down in her arms and Piper smiled. "Guess that means, yes," she commented to Leo.

"We'll leave you and Chris to it for a little while then," she said pointedly, before she turned and headed off in the direction of the lake.

"I think that was a not-so-subtle hint," Chris said drolly as Leo sat down beside him and handed him his coffee.

Buoyed by the fact that his son had willingly raised the subject, Leo smiled. "Oh you think?"

Chris's lips curled up into a grin at his quip, but his smile quickly faded and he looked away with a sigh.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Leo asked quietly.

"I don't know why it's so much easier with Mom," Chris began after a brief pause. "To accept another version of her into my life, I mean."

"Probably because you lost your other Mom eight years ago," Leo replied. "And no matter how painful that still is, you must have accepted, deep down, that she's gone for good. With me though – the other me, I mean - it's probably all still too raw. It's only been a few days."

Chris nodded. "Yeah, I guess," he agreed. "I suppose I feel like I'd be betraying him somehow…"

"If you let yourself get close to me?"

"Yeah. I know it's stupid."

"It's not stupid if it's how you feel, Chris," Leo told him. "But please believe me; I'm not trying to replace him. I'm not sure I could anyway – he's the one who's taken care of you for twenty-two years, brought you up to be the man you've become. I'll be all of that for this timeline's version of you. In twenty or so year's time however, you'll be one half of the whole that makes up my son, and I want the chance to get to know you properly before you go back to the future. That's not too much to ask, is it?"

Chris shook his head in reply. "No."

"Good," Leo replied with a satisfied nod. "So let's just start off by making the effort to get to know each other better, okay?"

"Okay."

There was a short silence and then Leo spoke again. "There's something else you should know," he said, somewhat hesitantly.

"Mmm?"

"Your father – he asked me to… well, to take on his memories of you. He didn't want you to have to deal with the memories of that time, especially the darker ones, by yourself."

"And you said yes?" Chris turned and stared at him, his green eyes wide and incredulous.

Leo nodded.

"But… but why would you do that?" the young witch-whitelighter stuttered. "Why would you _want_ to do that?"

"Because you're my son."

"You barely even know me."

Leo smiled. "That's kind of beside the point, Chris. When you have children of your own, I think you'll understand. You'll want to do anything just to protect them. You'll willingly lay your life on the line a thousand times over if needs be."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just know that I'm here if you ever need to talk."

Chris looked down at his hands, stunned at the enormity of what Leo had done. To willingly take on those memories, knowing the emotional pain that they would cause, all for him, it was just… well, there were no words. The hidden knot of resentment that still existed inside of him started to crumble. He'd never been able to view this Leo as his father before, but he couldn't escape the fact that this was exactly something that his Dad would have done. His father's words of a few days earlier rose, unbidden, into his mind.

"_I think in time you'll start to understand that I'm not really gone at all. Not completely anyway. There'll always be a part of me here, because the other Leo is the man I used to be._ _Twenty more years of existence hasn't changed me that much."_

"He knew you'd say yes," Chris mused aloud as the truth slowly dawned on him.

Leo nodded, quickly picking up the thread of his son's thoughts. "Given that he would've agreed in a heartbeat, I guess he assumed that there was a pretty good chance that I would too."

Lifting his head, Chris looked him straight in the eye. "Thank you," he said simply.

Leo reached out and patted the young whitelighter on the back. "Any time son, any time," he said, unconsciously echoing his wife's earlier words.

Glad that they'd reached an understanding of sorts, Chris's shoulders rose and fell in a relieved sigh. His eyes then sort out his Mom and brother on the water's edge. "So – how much longer?" he asked, his tone lighter.

Leo frowned in confusion. "How much longer for what?"

"Until we're permitted to go back home," Chris explained with a ghost of a smile.

Realising where the conversation was heading, Leo grinned. "What makes you think we can't go back any time we want?"

"Because I know this family - it's my birthday, which probably means a surprise party. I recognised the signs this morning – the furtive whispering, Aunt Phoebe trying to look like she's not up to something and failing miserably…"

Leo laughed and glanced at his watch. "Actually, we're meant to be there in half an hour," he said, amazed at how quickly the time had passed. "Piper!" he called, lifting his arm and tapping his wrist.

The dark-haired witch quickly rejoined them. "Try to look surprised, won't you?" she said to Chris, as she bent down to buckle Wyatt into his stroller.

"Look surprised at what?" her son asked innocently, while Leo bit back a laugh.

Piper shot him a look. "I don't believe for one second that you haven't guessed – your Aunts are as transparent as glass."

"No kidding," Chris drawled sarcastically, making her smile. He grinned back. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'll be suitably astonished – I've had enough practise over the years, believe me."

Piper looked over at Leo, who nodded and reached inside his jacket, pulling out a square package, wrapped in silver paper.

"Your father left you two presents," Piper explained. "He told us to give you this one away from everyone else."

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Chris took the package that Leo held out to him. He carefully removed the paper to reveal a blue velvet-covered box. Not knowing what to expect, he opened the lid to find a wristwatch nestled inside. The design of it was classic, timeless – the metal strap a burnished silver colour and the face inlaid with black mother of pearl.

Turning the watch over, he bent close to read the engraved inscription on the back of the dial. It was simple and yet somehow meant so much - '_For Chris, Happy 22nd, Love Dad xx' - _the date of his birthday with the year 2003 was etched underneath. Discarding his other watch, he slid this one over his hand and onto his wrist, snapping the clasp shut. It fit perfectly.

"There's a note," Piper said quietly, pointing out the folded square of paper in the lid of the box. Chris pulled it out and unfolded it.

'_Chris, _

_I wanted to give you something that would last, something to remember me by, I guess. As this is all about time, a watch seemed particularly appropriate. Just remember, time may change, but your memories will last forever - as will mine for that matter. Ask your other father to explain that one if you don't already know. _

_Be safe and happy, son, _

_Love Dad (No 1) xx'_

Blinking back the threatening tears, Chris refolded the paper and tucked it back into the box.

"Are you okay?" Piper asked in a worried tone.

Chris turned to her and managed to smile, albeit a little wobbly. "Yeah Mom, I'm fine. Don't worry, I'm not going to go back to hiding under the bedcovers, I promise."

He traced the dial of the watch with his forefinger. "This helps, I don't know why, but it does."

Piper reached out and absently brushed a wayward lock of his hair out of his eyes, something that he found both annoying and comforting at the same time. "Maybe I shouldn't have agreed to the party idea," she said. "It's too soon…"

"No, no, it's okay. I can't promise to be the life and soul, but it's something normal, you know. Something that's the same in this timeline as in the other. It reminds me that not everything has changed and there's something reassuring about that."

"As long as you're sure."

"I am."

A few hours later, surrounded by his family, he was. Phoebe and Paige had mercifully kept the guest list short - Darryl, his wife and children being the only other people invited. Most of the time, Chris sat quietly, watching the activity going on around him, slowly but surely emerging from the emotionally debilitating effects of his grief.

"Okay, last one," Paige said, struggling with a huge box. "It's from Future Leo."

She placed it on the table in front of Chris, who was surrounded by discarded wrapping paper and a neat stack of presents. These included a new shirt from Phoebe, two concert tickets for a rock band he'd never heard of from Paige, who claimed to be determined to make sure he had some fun while he was in the past, 'because all demon-hunting and no play makes Chris a very dull boy.' He wasn't sure whether he should be insulted by that or not.

Best of all though, there was a leather-bound diary and pen, together with a matching photo album from Piper and Leo. These items, they said, were something in which he could record all his thoughts, feelings and experiences of the past, present and the other future. They had also promised to keep the diary and photo album safe, so that they would be waiting for him when he arrived in the new future and merged with his other self.

"Open it then," Phoebe said, nudging him impatiently. "I'm dying to know what it is."

Chris tore off the paper to find a note taped to the top of the cardboard box inside. It read - _Something for you and Dad No 2 to 'enjoy.' _

Chris was confused at the word 'enjoy' being written in quotation marks, until he lifted the lid and peeked inside the box. Grinning widely, he pulled out one of the two pairs of rollerblades contained within.

"I think these are for you," he said, handing them to Leo.

The Elder grimaced as he took them. "Fabulous," he intoned flatly.

"I don't get it," Phoebe said with a frown.

"You're not supposed to," her nephew told her maddeningly.

"Do _you_ get it?"

"Yeah, I get it," Chris replied quietly, looking contemplatively over at Leo as the more serious message behind the gift registered.

The weight of guilt lifted from his shoulders - his father was saying it was okay for him to let the other Leo into his life, encouraging it even. It was funny, but the rather ridiculous present said that more than any words could have done. His Dad knew him far too well, he decided.

Leo turned over the roller-blades in his hands, also recognising the significance of the gift, having been party to his son and future self's discussion about Chris's favourite pastime a few days before.

"I don't suppose there's any protective padding to go with them?" he asked plaintively, his forehead creased in consternation.

Chris laughed. "No – I think the point is you have to suffer too."

"And here's me thinking fatherhood was supposed to be a joy," Leo said sardonically, the playful twinkle in his blue-green eyes belying his words.

"Okay – time for cake," Paige said then, getting purposely to her feet. "Don't worry, your Mom made it yesterday," she added off her nephew's slightly panic-stricken look.

"I take it my baking skills don't improve all that much over the next twenty years then," she queried as she returned from the kitchen with the birthday cake.

Chris shook his head. "Not noticeably – although we did manage to get a knife through one of your cakes once," he informed her, prompting Paige to poke her tongue out at him, while the rest of them laughed.

Leo exchanged a smile with Piper, both of them glad to hear their son cracking jokes again. As his wife rose to cut the cake, he glanced back over his shoulder at the bureau in the hall – one letter still remained, unopened, in the bottom drawer.

On the day that he left, his future self had cryptically told Leo that he would know when the right time was to hand out the letters. That'd had been easy with his own and the girls – he'd read his almost immediately, and given Piper, Phoebe and Paige's theirs, the following day. Wyatt's, he had stashed away upstairs for safekeeping until his son was old enough to understand.

That left Chris's and herein lay the dilemma – Leo simply hadn't known when to give it to him. He'd held it back so far, fearing that it would only make his son's depression worse. Now though, he wasn't so sure – Chris seemed to take comfort from the gifts his father had left for him. Would the letter have the same effect? Or would it just send him back to square one? There was no way of knowing for certain.

Leo agonised over it for the rest of the evening, before he eventually decided that holding it back any longer would do more harm than good, especially as far as the newly established trust between himself and his son was concerned. He therefore stopped Chris on the stairs, just as he was heading up to bed after bidding good night to his mother and aunts.

"Chris?"

"Yeah."

"Your father left this for you," Leo handed him the letter. "We all got one. I would have given you yours before now, only I wasn't sure whether you were emotionally ready to read it or not - at least not until today anyway. I hope I made the right decision. I'm sorry if I didn't."

Chris nodded as he took the sealed envelope. "Thanks," he said, his tone unreadable as his gaze dropped to the letter held between his suddenly trembling fingers.

"Okay – well, good night then."

"Yeah – good night."

Chris started back up the stairs and then stopped, looking back over his shoulder. "Dad?"

Leo's heart jumped. "Mmm?" was the only response he could manage.

"You did the right thing."

Leo sagged in relief. "Glad to hear it."

Chris nodded at him, and then retreated upstairs to his room. After getting undressed, he climbed into bed, the precious letter still clutched in his hands. He sat contemplating his name written across the front of the envelope for a long while, before finally turning the letter over and opening it. Pulling out the several sheets of paper inside, he unfolded them and began to read.

'_Dear Chris….'_

_**To be continued…**_


	20. New Beginnings

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Phew! Writing this chapter has been really slow going – I just couldn't get it to flow right. Anyway, it's finally finished, so here you go. Apologies if it's still a little disjointed in places, but I need to move on before it drives me completely mad! LOL!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed - replies to individual ones at the end of the chapter.

**

* * *

Chapter 20 **

Chris tugged the long-sleeved black tee down over his head, and then surveyed his reflection in the mirror. His hair flopped in front of his eyes, obscuring his vision, and he irritably pushed it back off his face, for the first time noticing how unruly it had gotten.

In the weeks before his future father's arrival, he'd been getting more and more preoccupied with finding whoever turned Wyatt, and so had been paying very little attention to his outward appearance. Often forgetting to eat and never sleeping for more than a few hours at a time, he had gradually lost all sense of self. He had been a nervous breakdown waiting to happen but, trapped in his obsessive search for the ones responsible for his brother's downfall, he hadn't been able to see it.

The events of the last few weeks had changed all that though. Future Leo's unscheduled appearance had pulled Chris back from the brink, just when he had been about ready to crash and burn. The terrible numbness inside had gone now - he was Chris Halliwell again, the lonely and reticent Chris Perry was no more.

Frowning slightly in concentration, he muttered a quick spell under his breath and then watched as his mirror image shimmered and changed, his unkempt locks becoming shorter and more manageable in an instant. Giving his altered reflection a satisfied nod, he turned towards the door, then stopped, as several sheets of paper lying on the bedside cabinet caught his eye.

His father's letter - he'd read it again last night for what must have been the hundredth time since he'd received it two weeks ago. Moving back towards the bed, he sat down on the edge of the mattress, reached over and picked up the bundle of paper. Smoothing out the top sheet, his eyes dropped to the familiar words written in a neat, slanting script…

_Dear Chris,_

_I think I can safely say that this is the hardest letter I've ever had to write. How do you say goodbye to one of your children? I honestly don't know, so I'll just write down whatever comes to mind and hope that it's enough. _

_Time – it goes so fast, doesn't it? It may be a cliché, but it's still true. It seems like only yesterday that your Mom was telling me that she was pregnant with you. I think we both thought that Wyatt would be our only child, so you were a rather unexpected addition to our family to say the least! However, no one could have been more wanted or welcome._

_Looking back on our first few years together, the thing that I remember the most is your cheeky smile. You were constantly happy as a young child, I recall. Those big green eyes of yours were always full of such innocent joy as you took in everything the world had to offer you. _

_It saddens me that the trials of life have knocked that high-spirited nature out of you. We all lose some of our innocence as we grow older, but yours was ripped away in the worst way imaginable and it's left its mark. I know that the pain will never truly go away, but I hope your new life can restore some of what you lost and give you back some peace of mind…_

Chris's stomach growled loudly at that point, informing him that it was well past time for breakfast. The delicious smell of his mother's cooking was drifting upwards from the kitchen down below, calling to him like a siren's song and he quickly succumbed to his body's need for food.

Carefully folding his letter, he pushed it back into the envelope and stashed it away in a drawer for safekeeping. He didn't need to read the words on the page anymore anyway; he knew the entire letter by heart. It had helped him deal with the loss of his other life, and stepped up his determination to change the future for the better at the same time.

When Chris had first arrived in the past, he'd been astonished at how lost his Mom and Aunts had seemed without Leo to guide and encourage them during their battle with the Titans. Growing up, they'd always seemed so strong and capable and he had never appreciated his father's role in that. He understood it now though. It didn't matter how dire the circumstances were, Leo could transform fear into confidence and doubt into self-belief with a few well-chosen words, just as he had done for his son in his final letter to him.

As Chris left his bedroom and wandered down the hallway to the top of the stairs, he mused over the changes that had taken place in his life over the past couple of weeks. With the revelation of his true identity, the roles in the Halliwell household had subtly shifted and he was still getting used to the new regime.

Leo had finally negotiated his position with the other Elders, striking a similar deal to his future self with regard to his family life. Reconciled with his wife, he had moved permanently back into the Manor, and was around a lot more as a result. With their former whitelighter's increased presence around the house, Piper, Phoebe and Paige were once again turning to him for advice, and Chris had been effectively sidelined from his role as their guardian angel.

Not that he minded - he had come to the past to save his brother, becoming the Charmed Ones' whitelighter had simply been a means to an end. To be honest, if anything, it was a relief to step aside. He had found his Mom and Aunts incredibly frustrating at times, not to mention utterly impossible to keep control of. He had wanted to strangle them on any number of occasions, and had no idea how his Dad managed to stay so calm and collected when they were running amok.

Chris had mentioned this to Leo, the previous day, and the Elder had thrown back his head back and laughed heartily. "Years of practise, I guess."

"That and an incredible amount of patience," he added, before throwing a shrewd, sidelong glance at his son "You handled it well, considering."

"Yeah right!" Chris scoffed.

"No, I mean it. It was always going to be difficult for you to relate to your Mom and Aunts on that level. You overcompensated that's all, became too draconian in your dealings with them."

Chris nodded thoughtfully. "I suppose."

"With the right charge, you'll do just fine," Leo assured him confidently.

"'Iss!"

Chris startled as Wyatt's excited squeal intruded on his consciousness. Lost in thought, he had unintentionally come to a halt outside the nursery, lingering there long enough for his brother to notice his presence. Wyatt was standing in his cot, his little hands clutching the bars for balance and a gap-toothed grin splitting his cherubic face almost in two.

Chris shook his head. It was still weird, he was never going to get used to this strange role reversal. All through his childhood, he'd been the one in awe of his big brother and now, it seemed, it was the other way round. Wyatt's blue eyes followed his every move whenever they were in the same room together, and he often orbed out of another family member's arms into his brother's lap as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

While his Aunts thought it was cute, Chris found the whole situation extremely disconcerting. His feelings for his brother were mixed-up as it was, without little Wyatt's hero-worship confusing the issue further. As much as he tried to ignore it and tell himself it wasn't really Wyatt's fault, he was still struggling to contain the deep resentment that he felt towards his brother for destroying their future.

He would never forget the look of abject astonishment that had crossed Wyatt's face when he had finally realised that his younger sibling was never going to support him in his efforts at world domination. Chris didn't know whether it was just supreme arrogance on his brother's part, or whether Wyatt did truly did believe that he was incapable of thinking for himself and would therefore blindly follow his lead, no questions asked.

Whatever it was, his adamant refusal to join Wyatt's cause had been the death knoll to their already rocky relationship. Up until then, Chris had retained some hope that his brother would see the error of his ways and make things right again. But, as Wyatt walked away with barely a backward glance, he'd finally had to accept that all was lost.

Already estranged from his father, it had been a bitter blow – their once happy family was now just a distant memory. Everything he knew and loved had gone. He had never hated Wyatt more than he had in that moment. Despite all of this though, when his brother's baby self beamed up at him with something akin to adoration in his gaze, Chris felt a great rush of affection that was impossible to ignore.

They used to be so close once, inseparable until the day of their mother's death. Chris had to believe that they could be again, or else everything he was fighting for would be for nothing. It was down to him to turn that hope into a reality. He had to stop this mysterious demon from getting to Wyatt; he just had to.

"'Iss!" Wyatt said again, louder this time, obviously not impressed with being ignored.

"All right!" Chris said testily, striding over towards the cot and hoisting his brother up into his arms. "Learn a little patience, why don't you?"

He perched a gurgling Wyatt, facing outwards, on his right hip, and then holding the little boy in place with one arm looped firmly around his waist, he descended the stairs at a jogging pace. Following the sound of voices into the kitchen, he discovered his Mom and Paige in the midst of their breakfast. The two women broke off their conversation as he entered and Piper looked up with a smile on seeing her sons.

"Morning sweetie," she greeted Chris as he joined them. "There's eggs in the pan – help yourself if you want some. They should still be warm."

"Thanks Mom," her son said as he deposited Wyatt in his highchair. "I think Mr Twice-Blessed wants feeding too."

Piper nodded, swallowed the last of her coffee and got up to prepare her eldest child's breakfast. Meanwhile, her youngest spooned a mountain of scrambled eggs onto his plate and moved over to join his Aunt at the table. As Chris buttered his toast and tucked into his morning meal, he gradually became aware of Paige's eyes on him. Glancing up from his plate, he saw that she was looking at him with a puzzled frown creasing her forehead.

"What?" he asked around a forkful of eggs.

"You look different," she said slowly, still struggling to work out what had changed.

"You've had your hair cut!" she exclaimed once it finally clicked.

Her expression of confusion quickly returned though. "How did you manage that between going to bed last night and getting up this morning?" she asked, perplexed.

"I… umm, you know," Chris replied vaguely, waving his hand to illustrate his meaning.

Paige's eyes widened. "You cut it yourself?"

"Err… not exactly," her nephew replied, flushing a little.

Paige smiled as she cottoned onto his meaning. "I think that's what they call personal gain, mister," she playfully admonished him.

"A little personal gain is good for the soul," he told her airily, "Provided it remains within acceptable limits of course. Abuse Mother Nature's hospitality too much though, and she'll bite back with a vengeance."

"Mmm – interesting theory that. I'd be intrigued to know who came up with it."

"Err… that would be you," Chris told her, a triumphant gleam lighting his green eyes.

"Damn! Walked right into that one didn't I?" Paige shook her head ruefully.

"And don't look at me like that," she added off her sister's disapproving look. "Someone's got to teach them how to have a little fun in life."

Piper humphed noncommittally and began to feed Wyatt his breakfast, while Paige stuck her tongue out at her grinning nephew, who, in her opinion, was enjoying her misfortune with an indecent amount of relish.

"So what's with the black-on-black look?" she asked, gesturing at his jet-black tee, jeans and boots.

Chris hesitated, casting a wary look at his mother before replying. He knew his plan of action wouldn't go down too well with her. She'd freaked out when he'd apparently 'gone missing' a few days ago; never mind what he had in mind for today. He hadn't actually gone missing at all, of course; he'd simply gone down to the Harbour Front for a walk and lost track of time.

Although he'd been in the past for months now, he hadn't really registered that he was back in the city of his childhood until that day. Seeing the children ride their bikes along the Harbour Front, and climb on the jungle gym that his Mom used to take him and Wyatt to as small boys filled him with a deep sense nostalgia. He had sat quietly and watched the activity going on around him for several hours, utterly entranced by it.

It was so very different from the devastated San Francisco that he'd left behind twenty-something years into the future, and it gave him another reason to keep on fighting - which brought him back to the purpose behind his dark-coloured attire.

"I, umm… thought I'd do a bit of snooping," he said lightly, attempting to sound casual. "See if I can find out more about how this demon guy is persuading the darklighters to cooperate with each other and work as a team."

"And how do you propose to do that?" Piper asked sharply.

Chris winced at her tone but stood his ground. "By going undercover and pretending I'm one of them," he explained matter-of-factly. "And before you say anything," he added defiantly. "I'm going to do this whether you like it or not. I'm twenty-two, not two."

Piper opened her mouth to protest, but Paige jumped in first. "He's right, Piper."

"WHAT?" Piper turned her furious gaze on her sister.

"He's an adult, not a child," Paige said calmly. "He has the right to make his own decisions."

"I've been doing this kind of thing for months now, Mom," Chris pointed out reasonably. "I'll be alright, I promise."

"Like you were the last time you mean? You could have been killed, or have you forgotten that?"

"That was different. I was acting on impulse because of…," Chris trailed off, dark pain reflected in his eyes as he was unpleasantly reminded of his Mom's horrific death. He swallowed hard before continuing. "I was reckless then, I admit, but I've thought all this through, I swear."

"How about we go over the details? Make sure you have everything covered," Paige suggested in an attempt to mediate between mother and son.

Chris started to object, but she held up her hand to interrupt him. "No Chris," she said firmly, "Piper needs to learn to let go a little, but you need to accept that things have changed as well. This is what family is all about – we look after each other, take the time to respect each other's feelings. She's your Mom – you can't stop her worrying about you. It's no longer acceptable for you to go off on your own without letting one of us know where you are, okay?"

"Okay," Chris agreed, both lamenting and rejoicing this loss of freedom.

In one respect, it was downright annoying, but it warmed him from the inside out nevertheless. He had waited so long for this sense of family to return to him. Bianca, his cousins and friends had been his anchor in recent years, but it wasn't the same, not really. This is what he'd been yearning for ever since his brother's defection had torn his family apart at the seams.

"All right," Paige said decisively. "Black clothing is one thing, but passing yourself off as a darklighter is quite another. How are you going to manage that? They know you're our whitelighter for a start."

"No they don't," Chris immediately contradicted. "They know of me, sure, but very few in the Underworld know what the Charmed Ones' new whitelighter looks like; I made sure of that."

"What about the darklighters who attacked us a few weeks ago?" Piper pointed out. "They've seen you."

"Yes, but they're all dead, remember? Dad energy-blasted them into a million pieces."

Not to be deterred, Piper tried a different approach. "So where are you planning to get a darklighter bow and arrow from then?"

"I made some vanquishing potion last night," Chris told her calmly. "It will be easy enough to track one down and disarm him."

"You make it sound like an everyday occurrence," Paige said.

Chris shrugged. "Because in the future it is - for me at least anyway. Wyatt used them as his personal army. I had to learn how to get past them to avoid being captured."

Piper and Paige fell silent as the implications of that statement sank in. Feeling guilty for making them face the painful truth about the grownup Wyatt once again, Chris shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

"I'm sorry…," he started to apologise, but Piper cut him off mid-sentence.

"No," she said firmly, placing her hand over his. "It's hard to accept, but we have to - for your sake. It's what you went through and it's important that we recognize that. We wouldn't be much of a family if we ignored it."

Chris nodded, curled his fingers round hers and squeezed her hand in silent acknowledgment of the gesture.

"You need be careful not to get scratched by an arrow," Piper continued in a lighter tone, leaning back in her chair and returning to the original subject of the conversation.

Chris smiled wryly. "Why do you think I'm wearing a top with long sleeves?" he said, holding up his right arm.

"You really have thought of everything." Paige said, sounding impressed. Chris glowed with pleasure, until she took it upon herself to deflate his expanding ego.

"Except there's one problem."

"What?" he asked in a disgruntled tone.

"Your orbs."

"What about them?"

"Well they're blue."

A wicked grin spread across Chris's face. "That's easily remedied," he told her.

"How? You can't turn yourself evil."

"No, but the colour change spell I wrote when I was in sixth grade works a treat."

"Huh?"

Chris pushed back his chair and rose to his feet. He moved to stand in the centre of the kitchen and began to recite the spell.

'_Red, and yellow, and pink, and green,_

_Are the first four shades of nature's queen._

_Let the colours of the universe merge and unite,_

_Then fill my orbs with an orange light!'_

He then orbed in and out on the spot, his previously turquoise orbs shimmering a garish tangerine colour.

Paige laughed. "Cool!"

Chris grinned at her. "The wording's really lame, I suppose, but I was only a kid at the time."

"How do you change them back?"

Chris demonstrated, amending the last line of the spell to 'Then fill my orbs with their original light."

"Black is essentially the absence of light though," Paige pointed out. "The last line doesn't really fit."

"Yeah well, I didn't think of that at the time," Chris replied. "I was only eleven – and I'd have been grounded for months if I turned my orbs black back then. I adapted it later when it became useful to pass myself off as a darklighter. All you have to do is substitute the last line with 'Then make my orbs as black as midnight.'"

Paige nodded. "Seems like he's got everything covered to me," she commented to her sister.

Piper studied her son, obviously trying to come up with a reason to prevent him from going. Eventually though, she had to admit defeat.

"All right," she said. "Go – just make sure you check in with us at regular intervals, okay? I need to know that you're safe."

"I will Mom, I promise," Chris assured her, leaning over and giving her a quick hug. He helped himself to another bit of toast and then left the room.

"You did the right thing, honey." Paige said encouragingly, patting her sister on the hand.

"I know," Piper replied. "But that doesn't mean I have to like it."

"He'll be fine," Paige reassured her. "You've got to admit, he's pretty resourceful for a young guy."

"I don't know whether that's a good thing or a bad thing."

Paige smiled. "Well, for now, I'd say it's a good thing. When baby Chris comes along however – maybe not so much."

Piper rolled her eyes. "Don't remind me."

"You are excited though, aren't you?"

"About what?"

"Being a Mom again."

"Umm, well yeah, I guess."

"You could sound a little more enthusiastic," Paige reproved.

"No, I am – it's just different, you know. I mean, he's already here, isn't he?"

"You've only seen the end product though, Piper. You're yet to meet the original prototype."

"Paige! My son is not a 'product.' He's…," Piper stopped, the indignant look on her face melting into something else entirely. "Wow! I'm going to have another baby," she breathed, her brown eyes shining.

"Now that's more like it!" Paige said, smiling warmly at her suddenly glowing sister. She glanced at her watch. "Anyway, got to go; don't want to be late for my new temp job."

"Okay," Piper said vaguely, still lost in the heady realisation that she was going to have another child in less than a year's time.

Grinning broadly, Paige fondly kissed her sister's cheek and orbed out. Piper stood there staring into space for a few minutes more, during which time her eldest son managed to up-end his half-eaten bowl of oatmeal in an attempt to feed himself.

"It's nothing to be proud of, young man," she gently chastised him, when his delighted giggles broke her out of her stupor.

Wyatt just beamed toothily at her and she couldn't help smiling back. "What am I going to do with you, hey?" she said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head before fetching a cloth to clean up the mess. "I think we're going to have to get you a bit more house-trained before your little brother arrives, don't you?"

Half an hour later, a freshly diapered Wyatt sat in the centre of her and Leo's bed, his sticky pyjamas exchanged for a red t-shirt and a pair of blue denim dungarees. He was ostensibly leafing through a picture book, cooing at the bright pictures inside as his mother sorted a vast pile of dirty laundry into whites and colours, ready for washing.

There was a tinkling of orb sounds and Leo materialised behind his wife. "Hey!" he greeted her, wrapping his arms round her waist and pressing a warm kiss to the side of her neck.

"How you doing buddy?" he added, reaching over her shoulder to ruffle Wyatt's blond curls.

"The Elder Council meeting over then?" Piper asked.

"Yeah – finally," Leo said wearily, as he sat down on the bed and pulled his toddler son into his lap. "Sorry I didn't make it home last night."

"Doesn't matter – you'll just have to make it up to me tonight."

"I guess I will," Leo agreed with a warm smile. "So where is everyone?"

"Phoebe and Paige are both at work, and Chris is somewhere in the Underworld trying to discover more about the darklighter army. His Mom, incidentally, is deliberately immersing herself in domesticity in a vain attempt not to think about the danger he's in."

"He'll be fine," Leo assured her.

"So everyone keeps telling me."

"Chris hasn't made it this far by being stupid, Piper. He's twenty-two and a powerful witch. Stop worrying so much."

"That's easier said than done."

"I know, but you have to learn how to deal with it, or it'll drive you crazy," Leo said solemnly. "Try to keep busy, that's always helped you cope with this type of situation before."

Piper let out a resigned sigh, bent and gathered a huge armload of laundry to take downstairs to the machine. "Can you keep an eye on Wyatt while I do this?" she asked her husband, indicating the bundle of clothing in her arms with an incline of head.

Leo nodded. "Sure."

Piper looked back at him, irritated by his calm, unruffled tone. "Doesn't this bother you at all?" she burst out in frustration.

"Of course it does. Just like it does every time you and your sisters go into battle. I suppose I get through it by constantly reminding myself that you're all more than capable of taking care of yourselves. With Chris, it's a little bit different because he's my son, but the same theory holds – he can and has dealt with far worse dangers than this, Piper."

Calmed slightly by her husband's assurances, Piper nodded, then turned and left the room. She knew Leo was right – it was just a bit of an adjustment, that's all. She was used to being a mother to a ten month old; she hadn't gotten to the stage where she was ready to let her offspring fly the nest yet.

Chris had arrived in her life, fully-grown and independent, a man, not a boy, but it was difficult to treat him as such when her motherly love for him was only in its fledgling stage. The urge to nurture and protect him was so strong, that resisting it was proving to be problematic. She knew deep down inside that she had to find a way to combat her overprotective behaviour though. Because if she continued to smother him, it would drive her – and Chris – completely round the bend before long.

Reaching the bottom of the staircase, Piper glanced up at the old-fashioned clock in the hallway. Chris had only been gone an hour and yet it felt like much longer. She sighed heavily, trying hard to ignore the worry gnawing relentlessly at the lining of her stomach.

Today was going to be a very long day, she decided.

_**To be continued…**_

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P.S.** Re: Future Leo's letter. You will hear more from it later, I promise. However, I wanted to show its impact on Chris and therefore decided not to write it out in full. Instead, you'll hear little excerpts whenever Chris thinks about it, or reads it again. 

**Re: Nice Hobbitses** – Thanks for the long review. Much appreciated. Love your screen name! I do try my best to cut out the 'Briticisms' in the character's dialogue. However, it's sometimes very hard to tell what is and isn't used across the Atlantic. If anything slips in, it's usually because I don't realise it's only a British turn of phrase. If I consistently have the characters saying something that's incorrect though, please let me know – I like to make my writing as authentic as possible.

**Re: Septdeneuf – **Yes, the pace is a little bit slower at the moment, but that's because I've explored the emotional effects of Future Leo's departure a lot more than I originally intended. We're heading into the latter part of this story now though, so events will soon start to move at a quicker pace again.


	21. The Darklighter Army

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Phew! Didn't think I'd manage to finish this before I went on holiday. Apologies for any rough edges I've missed, but I thought posting it now would be preferable to making you wait another week for an update.

Thanks for all the reviews – sorry no individual replies this time round – got to finish packing! I will try to answer any questions from the last chapter's reviews next time. Anyway, let's get on with it…

**

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Chapter 21 **

Chris wrinkled his nose in disgust as he ducked into the abandoned warehouse. Didn't Darklighters ever take a bath?

To add extra authenticity to his disguise, he'd filched a long, black trench coat from the Darklighter, who he'd disarmed with brutal efficiency, a short while earlier. However, he was now wishing he hadn't. The smell emanating from the suspiciously stained garment was distinctly unpleasant – a mixture of rank body odour, and god only knows what else, which turned his stomach and made his skin crawl.

Pushing down the desperate urge to throw up, he strode confidently across the dusty, concrete floor to the trapdoor situated in the centre of the vast, empty room, and beat out a rhythmic knock on the square of wood with the heel of his right foot.

Seconds later, there was a scraping sound as the door was unbolted from the inside before it was flung open with a loud crash. "Password?" a disembodied voice asked from within.

"Hellfire," Chris intoned with a resigned roll of his eyes.

The doorman – or rather door-demon – immediately admitted him inside and he descended the winding staircase into the noisy Basement Bar below. Demons were so unimaginative sometimes – not to mention incredibly stupid. It had only taken him about half an hour of good, old-fashioned detective work to break the security of the place. They didn't even change the password regularly either – it had been the same one ever since he'd first checked out this secret hideout, several months earlier.

When he'd first arrived in the past, he had played a hunch and decided to visit his elder brother's favourite place to hang out with his evil cronies. The Bar hadn't changed much in twenty years, he discovered, although the security measures were far stricter in his own time. The underground club was semi-circular in shape with the mahogany-topped bar located along the straight edge. Chrome bar stools lined the counter, while round tables encircled the circumference of the room, leaving a large, open space in the middle, where various demons, darklighters, and even some humans, congregated in small groups.

It was a useful place to pick up information about Underworld activities so Chris was a frequent visitor here, although he did usually move about incognito so not to draw attention to himself. It seemed as good a place as any to find out how to enlist in the up-and-coming Darklighter Army, especially as he strongly suspected that Wyatt's demon mentor had introduced him to this otherworldly haunt in the first place.

After ordering himself a beer that looked as if it had been siphoned off from the dregs at P3, he casually seated himself at an empty table, which was conveniently located next to a cluster of darklighters, talking animatedly amongst themselves. Snatches of conversation drifted across towards him as he pretended to sip at his drink, and he listened to their discussion with growing interest.

"He always finds us the best prey – powerful witches and their whitelighters – and everyone gets their fair share of the spoils, whatever their rank."

"Yeah and what's in it for him?" a tall, rangy darklighter with bleached-blonde hair enquired.

"Personal glory I expect. The 'Dark One' is coming, you know – he who will unite the entire Underworld and overthrow the Powers of Good forever. Witches, whitelighters and even Elders will be at our mercy before we know it."

The sceptical darklighter snorted with derision. "Sounds like he's got a screw loose to me," he said. "What about the Charmed Ones, hey? Not mention the eldest chippy's son – isn't he supposed to grow up into Mr All-Knowing and Super-Powerful?"

"Well that's just it – he's found a way to neutralise the infernal witches and their boy for good."

"You don't say, and how's he planning on doing that?"

"I'd tell you if I knew but only the generals are privy to that kind of classified information."

"Figures. So when do we get to meet this illustrious commander-in-chief then?" the white-blonde darklighter asked in a cynical tone, obviously unimpressed with the sales pitch.

"You don't," the recruiter replied, "Only the most worthy have the honour of meeting him face-to-face. You have to prove your loyalty to the regiment before you're granted that privilege."

Looking down into his drink, Chris absently swirled the amber liquid around in his glass, his mind working overtime as he tried to process everything he was hearing. He was surprised that their nemesis was predicting Wyatt's conversion so far in advance of it happening. The plan to turn his brother evil may already be in motion, but it wouldn't come to fruition for fifteen years or more.

Then again, the vast and super-efficient army that Wyatt now controlled must have taken years to assemble and beat into shape. The Darklighters of this time weren't known for their teamwork skills after all. One thing was clear however – the demon after his brother definitely had something to hide. He went out of his way to conceal his identity from everyone - his own cohorts, as well as his enemies. There had to be a reason for that.

With a jolt, Chris suddenly realised that the group of darklighters were getting to their feet and preparing to leave. Picking up his stolen crossbow, he hurried after them as they ascended to the warehouse above. As the trap door clanged shut behind him, the army recruiter spotted his presence and his slate-grey eyes instantly narrowed in suspicion.

"Who the hell are you?" he demanded harshly.

"Sirch," Chris quickly replied, drawing on the pseudonym that he had used many times before in similar circumstances.

It was an anagram of his own name, and the only one ever to figure it out had been Wyatt, when he'd stupidly tried to infiltrate his brother's inner circle a few years back. He had done it because he wanted to find out what, if anything, they knew about the safe haven that Leo and the other Elders had set-up for a group of magically talented adolescents, all still too young and inexperienced to roam free in the outside world.

Chris had a vested interest in keeping them well hidden because his cousins and some of his friend's younger siblings were amongst the chosen few. He'd lost too many family members to this new and harsh reality as it was, and he absolutely refused to lose any more. His plan had backfired badly on him however.

On discovering his brother's deception, Wyatt had acted swiftly and decisively, cornering and capturing his sibling with calculated efficiency. Chris's mind shuddered back from the events that had followed – he didn't like to think about it too much. Even now, he found it difficult to accept the psychological torture his brother - who he had so admired growing up - was capable of inflicting on an innocent mind. It was a nightmare he preferred to suppress, except for one thing – the guardian angel who had helped him escape from Wyatt's clutches.

The mysterious saviour who had spirited him away from his Underworld prison had been his Dad, Chris knew that now. However, at the time, anything good that Leo ever did for him was instantly erased from his memory by Wyatt's spell, leaving him with only a hazy remembrance of events. The enchantment had clouded his mind to the point where he hadn't even recognised his own flesh and blood. It all served to preserve the illusion that his Dad was indifferent to him, but now that the spell was no more, Chris could see that Leo had never really left his side.

He had healed his son's wounds on any number of occasions, and in this particular instance had nursed him back to mental health with a father's gentle care. Chris had always believed that an unknown spirit from the other side had helped him; someone who wanted him alive and well, so that he could fight for what was good and what was right in the world. It seemed so obvious now – how could he have not known the truth?

Leo's mark was on everything that his mysterious benefactor had done for him – from the familiar, comforting sensation of his healing power, right down to the potion he'd given him to help restore his shattered psyche after Wyatt's heavy-handed interrogation. It had been the same potion that his Aunt Paige had made for him after his Mom died, the one that filled him with a warm, fuzzy feeling and allowed him to think clearly, despite the intense emotional pain. How could he have not realised that the person who gave it to him must be a member of his own family? They were the only ones who knew the secret recipe…

"I said what do you want?" the recruiter demanded, calling Chris's attention back to the present – or rather the past. The darklighter had raised his weapon and was now aiming it at the young witch-whitelighter's heart, his finger poised on the trigger mechanism.

"Hey! Relax man," Chris drawled nonchalantly, holding up his hands in gesture of surrender. "I couldn't help overhearing – you were discussing this new army everyone's been talking about, right?"

"Right," the recruiter agreed, lowering his weapon slightly.

"So is this where I join up? Sounds like something I'd be interested in. I mean all those pretty witches to rob of their precious whitelighters - definitely my idea of fun."

There were nods and murmurs of agreement from the surrounding darklighters and the recruiter lowered his weapon back down to his side. "All right – all those interested in joining up, follow me," he instructed and black-orbed out.

Chris quickly followed and found himself in a derelict apartment, somewhere in the less salubrious part of town. Looking around, he saw that the majority of the other darklighters had followed – the previously sceptical one among them.

"Kaiyen – more potentials," the recruiter announced to a wizened-looking darklighter, who was seated at a desk in the corner of the musty-smelling apartment.

Kaiyen nodded and drew what looked like an old-fashioned ticket machine towards him. Turning the handle, he churned out a dozen or so tickets and the recruiter quickly handed them out to the assembled throng. Chris turned the ticket over in his hands with a puzzled frown – it was completely blank.

"The time, date and location of your trial will appear on it in due course," the recruiter explained. "It usually happens about an hour before the assessment is due to take place so keep an eye on it. Go to your allocated location, hand the ticket in and then we shall see whether you are worthy to be part of this exciting, new chapter in darklighter history."

"How long do we have to wait?" one of the other potentials asked.

"Usually about a month, sometimes longer," the recruiter replied in a self-important tone. "The trials take time to organise, especially as interest is running so high at the moment. We have darklighters from all parts of the world wanting to join up."

Chris nodded along with the others. It was a clever ploy – making them wait. He imagined the empty ticket burnt a hole in each darklighter's pocket, increasing their enthusiasm for enlisting ten-fold, especially when fuelled by cunningly placed rumours and hearsay in every demon bar in the country. Their enemy certainly knew how to lay the perfect trap that was for sure.

Unfortunately, that also made him a formidable opponent - they were going to have to be very careful that they didn't get caught in his spider-web a second time. Still, forewarned was forearmed, and Chris had faith his family had the ability and, more importantly, the determination to succeed in their goal and save his brother from a fate worse than death, despite the obstacles in their way.

One by one, the group of darklighters began to orb away, each clutching their tickets in their grubby hands. Chris glanced at his watch. It was late afternoon now, hours since he'd left home that morning. He'd forgotten that he'd promised to check in every few hours. It had taken him ages to track down a suitable darklighter to ambush and he'd gone to the Demon Bar immediately afterwards, frustrated at the overlong delay. He figured it was time he orbed back home before his Mom sent out a search party.

"Oh thank god!" Piper exclaimed in relief when he appeared out of nowhere in the kitchen.

She rushed forward and threw her arms around him, her tight embrace restricting his oxygen supply. Once she'd reassured herself that he was okay, she stepped back and wrinkled her nose, suddenly noticing the rank smell emanating from him.

"You stink!" she informed him.

"Tell me about it," Chris agreed whole-heartedly with an exaggerated grimace. "I've been resisting the urge to hurl for hours."

Paige laughed. "I see you're as fastidious as your Mom," she commented wryly from where she was sitting next to Phoebe, with little Wyatt in her lap.

"And I should think so too," Piper cut in. "I hope I don't raise my sons to be slobs."

Chris grinned, thinking on his older brother, who was always clean and well turned-out despite his evil nature. Their mother's influence still remained even now; Wyatt would never completely escape from his upbringing, it was too deeply ingrained within him.

"I'll just go and clean up and then I'll fill you in on what I found out," he told them, turning towards the door. "Where's Dad?"

"Up there," Piper said, jerking her thumb towards the ceiling. "I'll call him."

Chris nodded and left the room, bounding up the stairs two at a time, anxious to rid himself of his disguise. Absently performing the counter-spell to turn his orbs back to their familiar turquoise, he shed his clothing and stepped into the shower. Tipping his head back, he allowed the warm water to sluice over his face, closing his eyes as it washed away the lingering odour of darklighter from his body.

Fifteen minutes later, he was back downstairs, dressed in casual black pants and a maroon t-shirt, his feet encased in a pair of grey and black pumps. As he settled himself in one of the armchairs in the lounge, his Mom handed him a plate of sandwiches and he enthusiastically tucked in, suddenly ravenously hungry.

Piper smiled as she watched her youngest son devour his food, it gave her a warm feeling to take care of him in this way. He was so much more relaxed now that they all knew who he was. The uptight whitelighter was gone and in his place was a young man who she could easily recognise as one of their own. Everything about him screamed 'Halliwell' in a way that it hadn't done before, and his father's influence was pretty self-evident in him as well.

She caught Leo's eye and smiled – he had also been watching their son, obviously thinking much the same thing as her. He smiled back at her and winked as if to say 'that's our boy' and she moved to sit down beside him on the couch. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he bent to kiss the top of her head and she snuggled in closer, resting her cheek against his chest and her right hand on top of his thigh as they quietly waited for their son to finish his meal.

"You want anything else?" Piper asked when Chris finally set his plate aside.

Her son shook his head. "No, I'm okay for now – dinner's in a few hours, right?"

Piper laughed. "Yeah, dinner's in a few hours," she replied. "Don't you think of anything other than food?"

"Yeah of course I do – saving Wyatt and…," Chris faltered as an image of Bianca rose into his mind.

Seeing the expression of grief that suddenly crossed her son's face, Piper quickly guessed what he was thinking about. "Wyatt killed her, didn't he?" she asked. "When she took you back to the future, I mean."

Chris nodded. "I don't think he really meant to but yeah, he did."

"Sweetie, I'm so sorry."

"Yeah, me too," Chris replied thickly, looking down at his hands.

"She was a demon," Phoebe said.

Chris shook his head. "No, she was a Phoenix witch – there's a difference. Yes, she did some evil things in her time, but she wasn't inherently bad. Phoenix witches are paid assassins; they do it for money not pleasure. She stopped all that after we got together anyway."

"I don't understand why you would be interested in her in the first place though," Phoebe said. "You seem so… well good, I guess."

"I'm no saint," Chris told his Aunt. "I've had to do some questionable things to get where I am today – circumstances forced me into them but I did them all the same. Bianca wanted to reform; I wanted to help her… and the fact that she was pretty hot didn't go unnoticed either," he added with a self-depreciating grin.

"You were very young to be engaged," Piper quietly observed.

Chris acknowledged that with an incline of his head. "Maybe, but if you lived in the future, you'd understand that you have to grab every chance of happiness you can get - whenever it is offered to you. You can't guarantee that there's going to be a tomorrow."

Piper sighed. "And my little boy's responsible for that," she said sadly.

"Not if we can stop the demon from getting to him before it's too late. Maybe then we'll all get a second chance at life – Wyatt included."

Piper nodded. "Okay – tell us what you found out."

Chris quickly filled them in on his day. "It's useful information, I guess," he said when he'd finished his story. "But I don't know whether it's going to help us find the demon who's after Wyatt. Even if I go undercover, it could take years to rise through the ranks to the point where I get access to him."

"It's still worth going along to the recruitment session though," Leo began to say, but his wife interrupted before he could continue.

"No – we don't know what they mean by a 'trial' – what if he gets hurt?"

"Didn't we have this conversation this morning?" Chris asked in a weary tone.

Piper shook her head. "That was about giving you the freedom to be the adult that you are," she told him. "This is about taking an unnecessary risk – something we promised your other father we wouldn't let you do – not even for Wyatt."

She looked over at Leo for support and the Elder nodded. "Your mother's right, Chris. It's too dangerous."

"But you just said it was worth checking out," Chris protested.

"And it is – by me. With my invisibility shield on, no one will know I'm there. If our enemy is lingering somewhere unseen in the background, I'll be able to get a good look at him."

Chris nodded. "Okay, I'll go with you," he decided.

"How? You're not an Elder, you don't have an invisibility shield," Paige pointed out.

"No, but there are other ways to make yourself invisible."

"This is another one of those spells that you and your brother cooked up between you, isn't it?" Piper said in a resigned tone.

"Err… well, yeah," Chris admitted sheepishly.

"And how many of them back-fired?" she asked.

Chris laughed. "Quite a few – mine usually. Wyatt wasn't so disaster prone, being all Twice Blessed and everything. Don't worry, this is one of his."

"And that's such a comfort – not," Piper retorted.

Chris looked suddenly worried as a horrible thought stuck him. "Look Mom, don't try and stop us experimenting in the future, okay? Yes, we created a few messes that you and the Aunts had to clear up, but a lot of what we learned proved extremely useful later on in life. I imagine that'll still be the case, even if we do manage to change the future for the better."

Piper looked over at Leo. "Please tell me he didn't just ask us to ignore our responsibilities as parents."

The Elder smiled. "Even forewarned, I don't imagine we'll have any more success stopping them experimenting than we did in the other future," he told her. "We set the boundaries and gave them the room to grow within them – just like responsible parents of two magically gifted children should. And we'll do that again this time round."

"We didn't do a very good job with Wyatt though, did we?"

"That was caused by something else, Piper. He didn't turn evil because we allowed him to spread his magical wings. You only have to look at Chris to see that our philosophy was sound in that respect."

Piper glanced over at her youngest son and smiled warmly. "Yes, I suppose you're right," she said softly. "He did turn out rather well, didn't he?"

"Stop it, you're making me blush," Chris protested teasingly, although inside he was glowing with pleasure. "Can we get back to the point please?"

"Okay, so you and Leo will go investigate the darklighter army again when the time comes," Phoebe succinctly summarised, "But then what?

There was silence as they all raked their brains, trying to think of a way forward.

"How are we supposed to defeat this guy if he's so well concealed that we can't find out anything about him?" Paige finally demanded in frustration.

"You know, there is someone who might be able to tell us more," Chris mused thoughtfully, a sudden idea popping into his head.

"Who?"

"Wyatt," he replied cryptically

They all looked at him, dumbfounded.

"Are you suggesting we summon him here from the future?" Piper eventually asked, looking at her son in apprehension. Accepting the truth about her eldest boy was one thing, actually coming face to face with his grown-up, evil self was quite another.

"No!" Chris shook his head and shuddered at thought of his brother wreaking his particular brand of havoc here in the past. "That could go seriously wrong. Besides, he wouldn't tell us anything anyway. He and this demon guy might have gone their separate ways, but he's still the reason that Wyatt is where he is today. He's not going to betray his identity to anyone."

"So what _are_ you suggesting then?" Phoebe asked her nephew.

"Maybe we could open some sort of window to the future, to when all this started, just after Mom…," Chris stopped, gathered his emotions and continued. "I don't think it's a good idea for any of us to physically travel through time right now, but we could watch Wyatt through it, kind of as if he were on a television show."

"Is that even possible?" Paige asked sceptically.

Chris shrugged. "The Elders do it," he told them.

The three sisters immediately turned to look at Leo, who nodded. "That's true," he agreed. "But they only take brief glimpses and even then the picture's blurry and incomplete."

"That's where their predictions of 'a great evil stirring' or a 'gathering storm' come from, isn't it?" Piper asked astutely.

Leo nodded in confirmation.

"Why don't they take a better look?" Paige asked curiously. "Get more accurate information."

"Because it's forbidden," her brother-in-law replied solemnly. "Imagine knowing every single detail of the future. There'd be no mystery, no voyage of discovery in life – in essence, there wouldn't be a reason to exist, all human life would become utterly pointless. The Elders look ahead every once in a while to make sure destiny stays on the right path, but they don't interfere any more than that."

He broke off and turned to his son. "I can see where you're coming from, Chris, but this might be going a bit too far."

"Look, I know this is a huge deal but so is what Wyatt did to the future. We're talking a one time thing here – to look at one specific event, nothing more."

"But still…"

"Don't you all see?" Chris burst out passionately. "This changes _everything!_ We're going to have to break some rules to stop it from happening again. You _have_ to see that."

They all looked at each other and then Leo slowly nodded his head. "All right," he said, somewhat reluctantly, "But I can tell you now, the Elders won't help you with this and it's not an easy thing to do. Briefly creating a portal to travel through time is a whole different ball game to opening a window to the future and looking into it. That's why the Elders can only take brief glimpses, they can't hold the fold in time open long enough to see anything more than that."

"Well that rules the whole idea out then, doesn't it?" Paige said in disappointment.

"Why?" her nephew demanded impatiently.

"If the Elders only have enough power to get a hazy impression of the future, what hope do we have? The Power of Three is never going to be enough."

"The Power of the entire Halliwell line might be though."

Leo stared at his son, clearly impressed with his thinking.

"Not as dumb as I look, huh?" Chris quipped, catching his father's look of admiration.

"What does he mean?" Phoebe asked.

"You've done it in the past," Leo reminded her, "Maybe not on such a huge scale, but you've called on the power of your ancestors before. You'll need something to focus it on this time though. The power will have to be concentrated and controlled for this to work."

"You mean like a magical talisman of some sort? A crystal perhaps?" Paige asked.

"Yes and no," Leo answered. "A simple crystal will be far too weak to hold it. You'll need a large diamond, a ruby, something like that to contain that kind of power – or an object that has some sort of special magical significance."

"Great, so what do you suggest we do? Rob a jeweller?"

"How about this?" Chris asked as he orbed back into the attic.

They all jumped, nobody had realised that he'd left. Draped over the back of his hand was a silver necklace, the pendant of which was distinctly familiar triquetra.

"What is that? Where did you get it?" Phoebe demanded, taking the piece of jewellery from him and examining it curiously.

"It belonged to Melinda Warren," Chris explained. "Only it was lost, generations back. You guys uncover it when I'm a baby. Mom left it to me in her will – with yours and Paige's blessing apparently. I never did understand why you chose to give it to me, rather than Wyatt or one of the… err, umm, my cousins."

"Why did you bring it to the past with you?" Paige asked. "Isn't it dangerous for an object like this to travel back in time?"

"I didn't bring it back, I gave it to one of my cousins for safe-keeping," Chris told her. "It followed me here though – I guess it knew it would be needed at some point. I found it in my stuff when I arrived."

He frowned. "Maybe it's not actually the pendant from my time, maybe it's the one from this. Maybe my presence here called it to me because I own it in the future."

"You talk about it like it has consciousness," Piper said.

"It does – kind of. It's like Excalibur in a way, only not so powerful or so dangerous."

"So what does it do?" Phoebe asked.

"Nothing specific. It just magnifies my power a little bit. It did the same for the Power of Three when you used it."

"Well, it certainly seems like the perfect object to use for this," Paige decided. "Question is – how do we go about it?"

They all automatically looked over at Leo for assistance, even though the answer was pretty obvious.

"Two Power of Three spells, I guess," he replied, "One to call on the power and concentrate it into the pendant, and the other to open the window in time."

Piper took the necklace from her sister and held it up in front of her face, watching as it slowly rotated on its axis.

"Why do I get the impression that that's going to be a whole lot more complex than it sounds?" she asked.

_**To be continued…**_


	22. The Summoning

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. The spells in this part are borrowed from episodes of 'Charmed' with a few lines of my own added. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hello – back from my holiday with a new chapter for you. All being well, I should post another part of this and also my other story 'Unrequited' at the weekend. Replies to reviews below:

**Re: Martina G** – Read on ;-)

**Re: terra fea – **no, the story hasn't ended – I hate to leave things unfinished. I was just suffering from a bit of writer's block with it, hence the big delay between posting Chapters 19 and 20. I think we're back on track now (fingers crossed) so the updates should be a bit more regular than they have been.

**Re: Altaira – **when I read it back after I'd posted it, I did think I might have gone slightly over the top with Chris coming up with all the ideas thing! I wanted to show that Wyatt has all the power, but Chris is the thinker. With everything he's done – coming back to the past and successfully concealing his identity from everyone for so long – he's got to have some brains - in my opinion anyway!

**Re: crazyDFFgang & NothingButSarah **– two new readers/reviewers – welcome aboard :-)

**Re: Victorious Light – **I was pretty clueless about the threat to Wyatt too until recently. I'd not really thought through that plot-point in any kind of detail beforehand, which is why progress on this story slowed down while I figured it out. However, I think I have a handle on it now, so things are flowing much better again.

And yes, I always like to put in little reminders about Future Leo being a good Dad. As I'm sure I've said before, I've always found it hard to believe that Leo would deliberately neglect his son, which was the whole reason for writing this story in the first place.

Anyway, on with the story…

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Chapter 22 **

_**Mid-afternoon, the following day…**_

Leo sat quietly at the kitchen table, watching his wife and her sisters put the finishing touches to the two Power of Three spells. A sudden movement caught his eye and he looked up to see Chris standing in the doorway, beckoning to him. Getting to his feet, he followed his son out into the entrance hall and looked enquiringly at him.

"The more family members actually present when we do this the better, right?" Chris asked.

Leo nodded. "That's why the girls are going to summon your grandmother and great-grandmother to help."

"And wouldn't two lots of 'Power of Three' add a little extra oomph?"

Leo's blue-green eyes widened as he realised what his son was suggesting. "It's not time for Prue to cross over yet," he said.

"It nearly is though, isn't it? I mean, I've known her all my life so it can't be much longer now."

"The first time was when you were about six months old," Leo said, drawing on his other self's memory for the information. "And she wasn't exactly summoned; she kind of crossed over of her own accord."

"To save my life," Chris finished and then rolled his eyes at the astonished expression that crossed his father's face.

"Come on – I'm not stupid. Future You, Mom and the Aunts always avoided the question if any of us asked. But you also always looked towards me whenever the subject was mentioned too, so it wasn't hard to put two and two together."

Leo sighed. "Okay yes – it was to save your life, but don't go repeating that - to your Mom, Phoebe, Paige, - or Prue for that matter. There are some things that need to remain the same and this is definitely one of them. From what I understand from my future self's memories, Prue is the only one capable of protecting your baby self from this particular attack."

Chris nodded. "Don't worry; I'm not going to say anything – future consequences I know all about those."

Leo smiled. "Yeah so I recall," he joked before turning serious again. "That doesn't change the fact that it's not time yet though."

"But these are special circumstances," Chris protested. "As long as we keep our mouths shut, it can't affect anything, can it?"

Leo paused to think about it. Logic told him no, but his heart didn't want to risk it – this was his son's life after all. "She wouldn't be allowed to come even if the girls did try to summon her," he eventually replied.

"Yes but she might if I do it," Chris countered. "I'm from the future so the time issue shouldn't be a problem."

Leo shook his head in resignation – his son had an answer for everything it seemed. "I think that's what they call 'beating the system'," he said with a wry smile. "How exactly did you get so good at it?"

"I imagine that's what comes from allowing me and Wyatt to 'spread our magical wings'," Chris told him, his face splitting into a wide, Cheshire-cat grin.

"Yeah well, for god's sake, don't tell your mother that or she'll be binding your powers as soon as you're conceived."

Chris laughed heartily at that, but quickly sobered up. "There's just one possible problem," he said in a much more serious tone.

"What?"

"Do you think they can handle it?" the young witch-whitelighter asked, gesturing with his hand towards the kitchen.

Tilting his head to one side and nibbling at his bottom lip, Leo considered it for a few moments before answering the question. "Yes – I think they're ready. You can't just spring it on them unawares though. You need to warn them beforehand – Piper and Phoebe especially."

Chris nodded, turned on his heel, and went through into the kitchen intending to do just that. Leo followed closely in his footsteps.

"I think we're done," Paige said, looking up as the two men entered the room.

She glanced between her sisters, who were sitting either side of her. "So when are we going to do this?"

"Now is a good a time as any," Piper replied. "It's going to be painful whatever. Let's just get it over and done with."

"I suppose it's time to summon Mom and Grams to fill them in on the plan then," Phoebe decided, getting to her feet to go and fetch the candles that they'd need for the task.

"Umm – hang on a minute," Chris said, holding out his hand to stop her leaving. "There's something I have to discuss with you first."

Phoebe sat back down, the quizzical look on her face exactly mirroring the expressions decorating her two sisters' features.

Chris shuffled his feet uncomfortably, exchanged a quick look with his father, and then finally began to speak. "We want to give this the best chance of working, right?" he asked earnestly.

The trio of witches nodded in silent unison. "So the stronger the magic behind the power-calling spell the better," he concluded for them.

"That's why we're summoning Mom and Grams," Piper told him.

Chris nodded. "I know but I thought that maybe I could summon a little extra help."

"Like your cousins," Phoebe cut in immediately, her eyes lighting up with anticipation.

"No," Chris shook his head. "We said no more time travelling, remember?"

"Oh," Phoebe said with obvious disappointment. "Who then?"

"My other Aunt," Chris suggested in a slightly hesitant tone.

There was a long, pregnant pause, as the three women first looked confused before it dawned on them what he meant.

"The 'Power of Three' twice over would add some extra kick," Paige eventually said, not so emotionally affected by the idea as her two elder sisters, having never known Prue personally.

"They said it wasn't time yet though," Piper said, looking over at Leo, her expression desperately sad, yet oddly hopeful as well.

Her husband nodded. "I don't think that will matter if Chris summons her," he told her.

"And it won't affect anything?" she asked, throwing a worried look at their son, who was waiting on tenterhooks for their verdict.

Leo shook his head. "No, I don't think so – just as long as no one mentions anything about the future - other than what we're trying to do here that is."

"What do you mean? You don't think so?" Piper prompted, not fully satisfied with his answer.

"Provided everyone sticks like glue to Chris' future consequences rule, I'm positive it's safe," the Elder clarified for his concerned wife.

"And I'm sure even the more loose-tongued among us," he added with a faint smile at Phoebe, "Wouldn't dream of doing anything to risk their family's safety."

"You know I won't, Piper," Phoebe quickly assured her sister.

Piper nodded, her eyes bright with unshed tears. "And what about…? Can you handle this?"

"Yeah, yeah I think I can," Phoebe said softly. "It'll be hard, but this is for Wyatt, you know?"

"Yeah, I know," her sister replied with a heavy sigh. She drew in a steadying breath and nodded at her son. "All right – you can try to summon her."

Chris let out his unconsciously held breath. "It gets easier with time," he told his mother quietly.

"What does?"

"Being around a dead loved one," he replied, his liquid green eyes holding her gaze captive.

Piper got to her feet, moved around the table, and reached up to cup his sad, reflective face between her hands. "I'm not leaving you this time round, okay?" she said firmly. "We're going to save your brother and everything is going to be as it should be."

Chris nodded. "I hope so," he said softly, before making a conscious effort to put aside the sudden wave of grief that had overwhelmed him.

"I think the attic is the best place to do this," he said, his voice sounding much stronger. "Especially as it holds a particular significance as far as magic in this house is concerned."

Nobody could fault his logic, so they all made their way upstairs to the attic, stopping off at the nursery on the way to collect Wyatt.

"You're calling on the Power of the entire Halliwell line," Leo told his wife as he pushed open the door to their eldest son's bedroom. "Wyatt is part of that."

"But he's only a baby," Piper protested.

"A baby with a whole lot of power," Leo reminded her, lifting a sleepy Wyatt from his cot.

Chris looked at his brother, his eyes contemplative. "It seems ironic that he should help to save himself," he remarked, "But I suppose it's kind of right too. It's not as if he asked for this to happen; he deserves some sort of personal justice, I guess."

"Which you should remember when you go back to the future," Leo told his son gravely.

"I'm not going to hold a grudge, Dad, I promise. Maybe if I hadn't grown up with the real Wyatt it'd be different, but I separated the two versions of him in my head a long time ago. I had to in order to survive in my world without going completely crazy. I'm fighting to save my brother here, not the evil tyrant who terrorises the future. As long as I remember that, all of the bad stuff I can cope with."

Leo nodded and reached out to squeeze his shoulder. "All right – let's get on with saving your brother then."

Once they reached the attic, Paige and Phoebe immediately set about positioning candles in a roughly circular pattern, while Piper followed in their wake, lighting the wicks with a burning taper.

"So who first?" Chris asked, once the summoning circle was ready.

"Mom and Grams, and then Prue," Piper decided.

Chris nodded and stood to one side as his Mom and her sisters summoned their relatives from the beyond.

"What now?" Penny asked irritably, stepping out of the circle of candles with her daughter. "I was busy."

"Too busy to help save your great-grandson?" Piper quickly retorted.

Penny's sharp attitude immediately softened. "Of course not," she said. "What is it you want our help with?"

"I'll tell you when everyone gets here," Piper replied, before swallowing hard and nodding at her youngest son.

Chris moved forward to stand in front of the circle of flickering candles. Willing their subterfuge to work, he crossed his fingers behind his back, fixed a picture of his eldest Aunt in his mind, and recited the summoning spell in a strong, clear voice.

"Hear these words, hear my cry,

Spirit from the other side.

Come to thee, I summon thee,

Cross now the great divide."

A swirling mass of white lights immediately filled the circle, then cleared to reveal the filmy form of Prue Halliwell standing in the centre of the attic. Behind him, he heard Piper and Phoebe's sharp intakes of breath, as well as Penny and Patty's shocked gasps.

Prue's mouth fell open in astonishment as she quickly took in her surroundings. "Where…? How did you…?" she started to ask, but broke off as her gaze landed on Chris.

"Hey Aunt Prue," he said with a little wave of his hand and watched with amusement as her eyes widened with further amazement.

"Girls – this is forbidden," Penny admonished her granddaughters once she'd recovered her temporarily lost voice.

"And of course you never broke the rules, did you Grams?" Prue said with heavy sarcasm, as she stepped out of the circle of candles and became corporeal.

"That isn't the point."

Prue laughed and turned to address her nephew. "Chris I take it?" she asked, one eyebrow slightly raised.

"Last time I checked, yeah," he replied with a cheeky grin.

"So you're the one," she murmured softly, her penetrating eyes committing his features to memory.

"I'm the one who what?" Chris challenged, momentarily forgetting that this wasn't the ghostly Aunt of his childhood – not yet anyway.

"Chris…," Leo quickly warned.

"Sorry," the dark-haired witch-whitelighter said contritely, shooting an abashed look at his Aunt.

Prue however, smiled warmly at him. "I wasn't going to tell you anything anyway," she declared before turning to face her awe-struck sisters. "So are you just going to stand there?" she asked bluntly.

This immediately broke through Piper and Phoebe's trance-like states, and they each rushed forward to hug their sister at the same time. Nonplussed, Prue wrapped her arms around both of them as they clung tightly to her, their tears dampening her skin through the material of her top. Finally, she pushed them gently away and turned to Paige, her hands outstretched.

"Hey little sister," she said in greeting.

Paige hesitantly reached out and took her hands. "Hey big sister," she returned, not really knowing what to say.

Prue squeezed her fingers and shot her a knowing smile. "Weird huh?"

Paige relaxed. "Yeah – I guess you could say that," she said. "I hope I'm a worthy replacement," she added, a few insecurities escaping nonetheless.

"Worthy? Yes. Replacement? No," Prue replied, her expression growing suddenly serious. "I'd say we're the Power of Four now, wouldn't you?"

"Works for me," Paige agreed with a smile and a nod of her head.

"So who's going to tell me what we need the Power of Four for?" Prue demanded, looking around at her other sisters, who had finally managed to compose themselves.

"And you thought Piper was bossy," Phoebe commented slyly to her youngest sister.

Paige laughed and the slight tension in the room broke. This she could handle – being the fourth sister rather than a replacement third. It wasn't necessary for her to live up to her Prue's reputation after all; she could just be herself and still have a proper place in the family. While she was absorbing this suddenly realised truth, Leo bent and retrieved a cooing Wyatt from his playpen and crossed to stand in front of Prue, his little son cradled in his arms.

"This is what we need the Power of Four for," he told her.

"Hey Leo," Prue said, drawing her former whitelighter into an affectionate one-arm hug before taking her baby nephew from him. "Hey little guy! Look at you!"

"He's so beautiful," she said to Piper as she smoothed down Wyatt's blond curls and smiled down into his cherubim face.

"I can't believe you're a Mom," she said. "Boys too," she added, smiling at Chris with a teasing twinkle in her eye. "I guess that's what comes from breaking the rules and marrying your whitelighter, huh?"

"This family needed some additional male representation if you ask me." Chris replied drolly.

"I suppose this summoning was your idea, young man," Penny asked sternly.

Chris shrugged. "Some times you have to bend the rules for the greater good – isn't that the family legacy that you passed on to us all?"

Prue laughed. "He's got you there, Grams."

"He's got a smart mouth, you mean," Penny retorted, "And a reckless nature by all accounts."

"Which of course isn't a Halliwell trait at all," Leo remarked glibly, making them all laugh – including a reluctant Penny.

"All right," she said. "Is someone going to tell us what this is all about?"

Piper quickly explained the ambitious plan to her three deceased relatives, who all look suitably stunned at the prospect.

"Let me see that," Penny demanded, holding out her hand for Melinda Warren's amulet. Chris handed it over and she examined it with avid interest.

"Well – it certainly seems to be the genuine article," she concluded. "I guess you girls had better update the Book."

"It's in the Book of Shadows?" Paige asked curiously, moving over to the bookstand to have a look. Sure enough, she found it a few pages in.

"Melinda Warren's amulet," she read the script beneath the picture. "Believed to have magnified her powers. Passed onto her daughter Prudence and down through future generations until it was reportedly stolen by an upper level demon, named Dracken, in 1821. Only a true descendant of the Warren line can unlock its power. It is useless in the hands of anyone else – demon, warlock and witch alike. Current whereabouts unknown."

"Until now," Penny said, holding up the pendant so that it caught the light.

"Until you guys find it in two year's time, you mean," Chris corrected. "I'm pretty sure it'll disappear again when I go back to the future."

"Well we have it now – so let's get this show on the road," Prue said, taking charge of the situation. "You got the spell?" she asked her sisters.

"Yeah." Paige brandished a piece of paper. "I just need to modify it a bit," she said, swiftly crossing out the word 'three' and replacing it with 'four.' "Okay, I think we're ready."

Penny handed the amulet to Prue, who laid it across her upturned palm with the chain dangling from the ends of her fingers. Then, with Penny and Patty standing either side of them, the reunited sisters gathered together in a tight huddle and began to recite the spell, which was a modification of the enchantment that Penny had used for Wyatt's wiccaning several months before:

"We call forth from space and time,

Matriarchs from the Halliwell line.

Mothers, daughters, sisters, friends,

Our family spirit without end."

Filmy, indistinct figures began to appear as the Charmed One's combined voices echoed around the attic, rising in volume with each line of the spell.

"Lend your powers to us sisters four,

Unite in this charm and help us learn more."

Chris gasped as something shifted deep inside him, and he watched, mesmerised, as white and blue lights began to stream from his fingertips towards the necklace in Prue's hand. Glancing to one side, he saw the same thing happening to his brother. Wyatt was looking at the sparkling illuminations with wide, astonished eyes, his tiny mouth formed into a perfect 'O'.

Gradually the room began to fill with a veritable rainbow of twinkling lights as their ancestors' power streamed towards the amulet, imbuing it with magical energy. The triquetra pendant began to glow brighter and brighter until they were forced to close their eyes to shut out its dazzling radiance. The musical tinkling sound that accompanied this process swelled to a rapid crescendo and then, all of a sudden, there was complete and utter silence.

Chris cautiously opened one eye and saw that the ghostly forms of his ancestors had vanished. Melinda Warren's necklace lay dormant in a stunned Prue's hand, but he could feel the immense power emanating from it from several metres away.

"Whoa! That was some spell!" he exclaimed, voicing what they were all thinking.

Paige forcibly shook herself out of her shock. "So let's find out whether it's enough, shall we?" she said, pulling a second piece of paper from the back pocket of her jeans and unfolding it. Her three elder sisters nodded in agreement and bent their heads together once more to cast the second spell:

"In this night and in this hour,

We call upon the ancient power.

We, the heirs of the Halliwell line,

Wish to open a window in space and time.

Use this charm to show us tonight,

Why the Twice-Blessed Child turned away from the light."

Chris watched with baited breath as a beam of light emerged from the pendant and projected a hollow circle of yellow onto the panelled wall in front of him. It widened until it was about the size of a portable television screen and, if he squinted, he could just make out a blurry picture inside of it. However, after hovering in mid-air for a few brief seconds, the circle of light suddenly emitted a sharp pop and immediately shrunk back to the size of a pinprick before disappearing completely.

"Dammit!" he swore, sending a large vase smashing into the far wall with his telekinesis. He slumped onto the dilapidated sofa and tipped his head back against the cushions, looking up at the ceiling. "It should have worked," he said dejectedly. "Why does everything I try always lead to a big, fat nothing?"

Nobody answered him; they were all struggling with their own disappointment – except for Prue, who was looking thoughtfully at the amulet in her hand. "Maybe it only works properly if the right person casts the spell," she said slowly.

"What do you mean? It's a Power of Three spell," Piper snapped back in obvious frustration.

"No Piper, it isn't," her elder sister replied calmly. "We're not the heirs of the Halliwell line anymore, are we? Your children are. And this amulet belongs to you, right?" she asked her nephew.

Chris stared at her. "But I can't…"

"Don't be silly, boy, of course you can," Penny cut in sharply. "You're a Halliwell, aren't you?"

"Yes, but my power doesn't come close to matching that of the Power of Three, even with Melinda's amulet."

"Yours and your brother's power combined must do though," Patty pointed out to her grandson.

"But Wyatt can't even talk yet!" Chris protested.

"He doesn't need to, Chris," Leo said. "He just needs to have hold of the amulet while you cast the spell."

Chris looked dubious, still not entirely convinced.

"It's worth a try at least, isn't it?" His father prompted. "Or is it your policy to give up at the first hurdle?"

"If it was, I wouldn't be here today," Chris told him.

"My point exactly."

Chris's lips quirked up into a small smile. "All right, I'll give it a go," he said, getting to his feet and taking his brother from his father's arms.

Prue handed him the amulet and he dangled it in front of Wyatt, who immediately made a grab for the shiny object, catching the pendant between his tiny hands with a delighted squeal.

"Okay bro, hold on tight," Chris instructed and began to speak the words of the spell in a calm, measured tone:

"In this night and in this hour,

We call upon the ancient power.

We, the heirs of the Halliwell line,

Wish to open a window in space and time.

Use this charm to show us tonight,

Why the Twice-Blessed Child turned away from the light."

Chris felt the amulet vibrate and its power buzzed through his veins as the window in time slowly began to open once again. Much to his delight and relief, this time it widened to the size of a large wide-screen TV, bringing the picture inside into sharp focus. They were looking in on a bedroom that Chris instantly recognised as his older brother's.

"Is this the right time?" Piper queried urgently.

"Umm – I think so," Chris replied. "It looks about right. I won't know for sure though until…"

He broke off as the door suddenly banged open and a blond, teenage boy strode purposefully into the room that was projected onto the attic wall. Chris let out his breath in a rush at the familiar sight of his sixteen-year-old brother.

"Yep – this is the right time…"

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

P.S.** – I've been thinking about buying the Charmed DVDs but haven't yet, so it's been a long time since I've seen an episode with Prue in it. I'm therefore working from my extremely hazy memory of earlier seasons, so I don't know how well she is 'in character.' 


	23. Wyatt's Revenge

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **This part keeps switching between what the characters are watching in the future and what they're thinking/feeling in the present. Hope it's not too confusing, but I didn't want it to be just a flash forward with no reactions from anyone. The main POV in the present is Chris to keep the consistency, which will hopefully make it simpler to read.

Thanks for the reviews – replies to individual ones below:

**Re: To all those reviewers who assured me my Prue was okay** – thanks for the vote of confidence - this was something I was worried about, not being able to remember her all that well. I do remember she was the 'take charge' person, much more so than Piper, which is why I've written her like that. I was originally planning to make her Chris and Wyatt's whitelighter. But then I read a few stories with that already in, so I decided to take a slightly different route and keep her effectively dead like Penny and Patty instead.

**Re: Victorious Light** re: Prue/Chris storyline. Yeah, I am planning to put it in at some point, only I'm not quite sure how yet because no one is supposed to know! Piper, Chris and Prue know something, but Leo is the only one who knows everything and he's not going divulge it to anyone, not with his son's life at stake. I think I'll just have him thinking about it, but I need to find a suitable point in the story for him to do that.

**Re: charmedtomeetyou** – Prue is going to stick around for a while longer, but she's not in this chapter much, I'm afraid.

**Re: Nubilina** – I've not forgotten about my other fic – look out for another update in the next couple of days. I was hoping to get it finished this weekend, but I've had less time to write than I thought I would, so it will be a little bit longer.

Anyway, enough of my rambling. As I mentioned above, Prue isn't in this chapter much but she will be back. This part is about future Wyatt, so for obvious reasons, Chris, Piper and Leo are the main players in the present.

**

* * *

Chapter 23 **

Handing baby Wyatt over to his grandmother, Chris sat down, cross-legged, on the wooden attic floor, watching as the teenage version of his brother pulled out a backpack from under his bed and began to stash various items of clothing in it.

Chris was both dreading and anticipating what he was about to see through this fateful window into the future. This had been without doubt the most painful time of his life, and yet he was strangely hopeful that it would finally give him some answers as to why his brother had gone so completely off the rails.

His Dad sat down on the floor next to him, while his Mom seated herself on the couch directly behind him, with Paige and Phoebe either side of her. Prue perched on the arm of the sofa next to Phoebe, and Penny and her daughter sat down in two empty armchairs, Patty with little Wyatt happily ensconced in her lap.

"All we need now is popcorn," Chris quipped, trying to lighten the mood, despite the nervous pounding of his heart inside his chest.

His joke fell flat however and he sighed, resting his chin on his knees and gazing intently at the developing scene in front of him. Nothing of significance happened until his own voice sounded eerily in the tense quiet of the attic.

"You're not sneaking out again tonight, are you?"

Wyatt whipped around and the angle of the picture widened to reveal Chris's fourteen-year-old self standing in the doorway dressed in blue and green striped pyjamas. Even to his own eyes, he looked thin and pale. His cheeks were sunken and hollow, dark shadows ringed his haunted eyes, while his clothes were hanging off his too skinny frame. Piper gasped and Leo quickly reached over to take her hand in his.

Chris frowned, struggling to remember this particular night – he'd asked that same question so many times over a period of months that he lost track of each individual occurrence. Try as he might, he couldn't recall this specific moment, although it couldn't have been very long after he'd emerged from his catatonic state, given his unhealthy-looking appearance and his brother's short hairstyle.

"What's it to you?" Wyatt asked, somewhat snappily.

"I don't think you should go – it's too dangerous."

His brother laughed. "I can take care of myself, Chris."

"Dad would lose it big time if he knew what you were doing."

"Yeah well, what Dad doesn't know won't hurt him," Wyatt replied in an offhand tone.

"I don't see why you have to go out every night anyway."

"Because there's a never ending supply of demons to hunt down and kill that's why!"

"Can't you just give it a rest for a while?"

"No I can't," Wyatt shot back impatiently. "Do you want what happened to Mom to happen to Dad?"

Chris stared at his elder brother in horror. "No! No of course I don't."

"Then leave me to do what I have to do then."

"I don't like it, Wyatt."

"You don't have to like it – you just have to keep your mouth shut and let me get on with it."

Unconvinced, Chris stubbornly shook his head. "No, it's not right - the way you're going down to the Underworld all the time. You shouldn't be doing it."

"And how exactly are _you_ going to stop me?" Wyatt asked derisively.

"I'll…," Chris hesitated for a moment, obviously not liking the solution that presented itself. In the end though, he knew it was his only option. "I'll tell Dad," he threatened.

Wyatt reacted instantly and furiously. Grabbing the fourteen-year-old Chris roughly by the arms, he slammed him up against the wall. "You do and you'll be sorry, you little sneak!" he hissed venomously, his fingers bruising his brother's skin where they dug painfully into his flesh.

Seeing the look of horror on his younger self's face, Chris finally realised when this was and he momentarily closed his eyes, dreading what was about to come next. This was the first time Wyatt had ever been anything approaching violent with him and it had shocked him to the core.

Recognising that he'd gone too far, Wyatt backed off, holding up his hands in a gesture of apology. "Sorry, I didn't mean… I just don't want anything to happen to Dad. He's all we've got left, Chris."

"What if something happens to you though?"

"It won't."

"It might Wyatt! Promise me you won't go down to the Underworld anymore."

"I can't."

"Then I'm going to tell Dad." With that avowal, the younger Chris fled from the room as fast as his feet could carry him.

Wyatt swore and took off after his little brother in hot pursuit. The scene unfolded from his perspective as Chris ran down the landing and took the stairs two at a time before grinding to an abrupt halt in the downstairs hallway. Wyatt stopped about halfway down the steps, watching as his brother's gaze remained riveted on something in the living room. Eventually, the younger Chris looked back over his shoulder, his green eyes full of unshed tears. This seemed to be Wyatt's cue to continue on down the stairs and, as he finally joined his brother in the hall, the thing that had stopped the dark-haired teenager in his tracks became painfully apparent.

Leo sat on the sofa in the lounge, his head in his hands. It was obvious he was crying from the telltale shaking of his shoulders, but no noise could be heard emanating from him. The lack of sound only served to make the poignant scene all the more heart-rending however.

"See, it's not fair to bother him with a little thing like this," Wyatt said in a low, persuasive murmur, prompting the view to shift away from the grieving Leo and back onto the two brothers. "He's just lost Mom – the love of his life. And he's a single father to two teenage boys, one of whom has, well, emotional problems - something that only adds to the burden."

Fourteen-year-old Chris swallowed convulsively and wrapped his arms around himself in an act of self-protection, his gaze fixed firmly on his bare feet.

"I know it's not your fault," Wyatt pressed on, "But you've gotta see that you being ill made things so much harder on Dad after Mom died. You don't want to cause him any more unnecessary stress now, do you?"

With a strangled sob, Chris pushed past his brother and rushed back up the stairs, his feet hardly making a sound on the carpeted steps. A slow, satisfied smile spread across Wyatt's handsome features and the older Chris felt an icy shiver run down his spine at the sight. Drawing in a shaky breath, he looked away from the scene only to find Leo's gentle, understanding gaze upon him. Unfortunately, this made him feel about ten times worse. Feeling guilty and responsible, he felt the need to offer some sort of explanation for his reticence.

"I'm sorry, I should have told you," he said, "But I just couldn't, not when you..." he stopped before trying again. "I know Wyatt was deliberately manipulating me but he was right in a way, wasn't he? I did make things worse for you."

"No, no you didn't, don't think that," Leo said, reaching out and laying a consoling hand on his son's forearm. "It was a difficult time for everyone. If you want to know the truth, Wyatt's erratic mood swings were just as worrying to my future self as your problems were. Neither of you were a burden though, quite the contrary in fact - you were my… his reason for carrying on."

Drawing some comfort from this, Chris turned his gaze back on the vision of his past playing out on the wall in front of him. Wyatt had retreated to his bedroom again and had just finished packing a change of clothes into his knapsack. As pulled the drawstrings of the canvas bag tight, he looked up sharply, obviously alerted by a sound that his watching family couldn't hear.

Quickly kicking his backpack under the bed, he toed off his pumps, pulled his t-shirt off over his head, then leapt into bed, grabbing a book from the nightstand as he tugged the covers up over his denim-clad legs. Moments later, there was a light knock on the door and Leo entered the room. The Elder's eyes were slightly swollen and red-rimmed, but otherwise he seemed perfectly composed.

"Don't read for much longer Wyatt, okay?" he said to his son. "It's getting late and you have school tomorrow."

"Yeah, I know. I just wanted to finish this chapter," Wyatt replied amenably.

Leo nodded. "Has Chris gone to bed?"

"Yeah - a while back. He looked kind of tired."

"All right – I won't disturb him then," Leo said, turning towards the door before something prompted him to turn back.

"You will keep an eye on him tomorrow, won't you?" he said to Wyatt, his blue-green eyes reflecting his concern for his youngest child. "It's his first day back at school after your Mom… I'm not sure he's ready yet, but he insists he wants to go."

"Don't worry, Dad. I'll make sure that everyone knows that if they give him a hard time, they'll have me to answer to."

"That's not what I meant, Wyatt," Leo chided. "But I'm glad to hear the sentiment anyway. You've not been very supportive lately, you know."

"I know, I'm sorry, I just… I hate seeing him like that, Dad." Wyatt said, gazing up at his father with a convincing look of sorrow in his ice-blue eyes.

"And the Oscar goes to…," Chris murmured sarcastically under his breath.

Piper closed her eyes at the bitter hurt she could hear in her son's voice. This was harder than she thought it would be. She'd steeled herself to face an uncaring Wyatt, but to see the emotional and physical damage her death had wreaked on her other son, and witness her husband's grief over her loss, had been almost too much for her to bear.

Chris had lived through this though, she reminded herself. And Leo too in a way, now that he had his other self's memories. She had to be strong for them, see this through to the bitter end. If they found out who had gotten to Wyatt, then maybe they could stop history repeating itself. Prevention was better than a cure - hadn't she always been taught that?

Squeezing Leo's fingers, she sat forward on the sofa and smoothed her hand over her son's dark hair, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. Chris glanced back over his shoulder at her, the look in his green eyes pained but an expression of steady resolve on his face nonetheless. She nodded encouragingly at him and he gave her a tight smile before returning his gaze to the future scene in front of them.

Future Leo was just bidding his eldest son goodnight and leaving the room. After the door had closed behind his father, Wyatt lay there for a couple of minutes, and then threw back the covers and clambered out of bed.

Quickly redressing himself, he retrieved his backpack from its hiding place under the bed, and then crept over to the window. Undoing the latch, he pulled the sash open as quietly as he could and threw his leg over the ledge. He then climbed down the side of the house, agilely jumping the last few metres to the ground and landing in the flowerbed with a soft thud.

"Why didn't he just orb out?" Phoebe asked as Wyatt hurried off down the lamp-lit street.

"Because I would have felt it," Leo told her, "Especially from the next room. He would have to get a significant distance away before the sound of his orbs blended into the background noise."

"But surely Future You was able to sense that he'd gone?"

"Yes – except that he had no reason to just then. As far as he was concerned, both his sons were safe in bed. Later on, when Wyatt's behaviour got completely out of control, it was a different story, but at this point in time, my future self just thought he was acting out because of Piper's death. There was no reason to suspect anything different."

The future picture in front of them suddenly lurched and blurred, and then refocused on a dark, garbage-strewn alleyway. Seconds later, Wyatt rounded the corner, his backpack slung over his shoulder. He was dressed in the same clothes – a scarlet t-shirt and blue jeans - telling them that this was still the same night. He paused, looked this way and that, and then finally orbed out, his blue orbs descending down into the ground rather than ascending to the heavens above.

The scene blurred again and they were in what was clearly the Underworld. Chris sat up straighter, immediately recognising the torch-lit passageway in front of him.

"What is it?" Leo asked sharply.

"This is it," Chris said an undercurrent of suppressed excitement in his voice. "This is where I was when he kidnapped me – the demon after Wyatt I mean. The Trileb Demons' lair is just ahead."

Wyatt turned and followed the passageway in the opposite direction to that which his brother had taken some fifteen years earlier however, eventually coming to what looked like a dead-end. Standing on his tiptoes, he lightly ran his fingertips over the rough stone until he found what he was looking for, and then pressed hard against the indentation in the rock.

There was a loud, grating sound and a narrow opening appeared in the rock-face, filling the dimly lit passageway with the greenish light of what lay beyond. Wyatt squeezed through the gap and the hidden doorway immediately clanged shut behind him. Oval lamps of phosphorescent rock illuminated the short corridor that the teenager was now standing in, while the double doorway at the far end was constructed of a burnished mahogany wood.

These doors swung inwards of their own accord as Wyatt approached, and Chris found himself looking around the home of their enemy once more. Not much had changed in the fifteen years that had passed, apart from the addition of a large, circular table that stood in the centre the room. The walls were still lined with tall, heavy bookcases, and the rest of the furniture was also positioned pretty much how it had been when Chris had been imprisoned there.

"Good Evening, Wyatt," the dry, dusty voice of their demonic adversary echoed from a dark corner of the room.

Wyatt shot a slightly irritated look in the direction of the disembodied voice. "Aren't we ever going to meet face to face?" he demanded petulantly.

"Have patience, child. The time will come soon enough."

"When exactly?"

"Very shortly, I believe."

Apparently satisfied with this answer, Wyatt moved over to stand in front of the table, a gleam of anticipation in his blue eyes. "What tonight?" he asked eagerly.

The air above the table shimmered and a globe-like object appeared on the surface. Mounted on a shiny, brass cradle was a transparent glass sphere filled with a swirling, purple mist.

Wyatt's face fell in obvious disappointment. "A crystal ball?" he asked scathingly.

"Ahh, but it's so much more than that," his mentor informed him. "Look into its depths and you shall see."

Wyatt stepped closer and peered down into the ball. The purple mist inside eddied and cleared and he stiffened in shock, his eyes blazing with sudden, intense anger.

"I thought they were all dead," he hissed, his hands gripping the edge of the table so tight that his knuckles turned white.

"I'm afraid not, boy. The demons who stole your mother so cruelly from you are many in number. You have killed but a mere fraction of them."

"Then I'll hunt down every last one of them until they're all dead," Wyatt vowed, his voice filled with iron resolve.

"That could take years, decades even."

"So?"

"You have other things to do with your life, Wyatt – great things. Do not waste your potential on empty revenge. Finish it now and move on from it."

"How?"

"Use the Globe."

"It will show me where they are?" Wyatt asked with barely suppressed excitement.

"If you ask it to, yes, but I suggest you use it to finish this once and for all instead. You need not even step out of this room if you do not wish to."

"I don't understand."

"Itona's Globe is not merely a window on the world, my child. It will channel its user's will to every corner of the cosmos if necessary. In the hands of a strong and influential witch such as yourself, its power knows no boundaries."

"You mean I'll be able to kill them all in one go?"

"I believe so, yes. Nobody has ever used the Globe for something so ambitious before, but I think it is perfectly possible for you to achieve what you desire. Your power is already greater than any I've ever known, and you are but sixteen years old."

"Tell me how," Wyatt insisted in a commanding tone, his eyes alight with hungry zeal.

"Place your hands on the glass," his demonic mentor softly instructed.

Wyatt did as he was told, causing a plasma ball type effect within the Globe. The purple mist sparked and streamed towards his fingertips as the Globe began to emit a low humming sound. "What now?" he asked.

"Fix an image of your mother's murderers in your mind and focus that image on the Globe. Then command it to use your power to seek out and destroy them. Do not let anything distract you. You must concentrate all your efforts on holding that image firmly in your mind or the effect will become diluted."

Wyatt nodded in understanding, then drew in a deep breath and stared intently down into the glass ball, his forehead creased in concentration. The Globe's humming immediately rose in volume and the purple mist inside began to churn like a tornado.

"Now!" Wyatt commanded through gritted teeth.

The Globe's violet light contracted, then suddenly flared and the sound of agonised screams filled the attic. The watching Halliwells could not see the flickering images inside the Globe, but the teenage Wyatt could not tear his eyes away from them. A look of grim satisfaction spread across his face as he watched the systematic destruction of his demon enemies, prompting him to tighten his grip on the Globe and pour even more of himself into the grisly task.

Chris watched in open-mouthed horror as the cobalt blue of his brother's eyes suddenly slid away to be replaced by iris's of pure black. Leo – rather uncharacteristically - swore vehemently at this and Chris could hear his Mom's muffled sobbing coming from behind him. He couldn't look at either of them though; his eyes never left Wyatt's face as his brother took his vengeance and effectively destroyed a piece of his own soul in the process.

And then it was over, Wyatt's hands slid from the Globe and he slumped to the floor, physically and mentally drained by what he'd just done.

"See to him, Nazcheck."

A figure, that non of them had noticed before, hurried forward and lifted the unconscious Wyatt off the ground and transferred him to a couch on the other side of the room. Chris gasped - it was the sceptical darklighter from the day before. He was older certainly, and no longer had bleached-blond hair, but it was definitely the same person.

"Is it time master?" he asked eagerly.

"Not yet, Nazcheck. There is still a way to go yet. We have made significant progress here tonight however."

"But the others…"

"The others do not have Wyatt's strength, his power - corruption of a soul as strong as his takes time. We must be patient."

"You could have taken him when he was an innocent though, turned him when you first infected him."

"And I would have weakened him in the process. To know the way one's enemy thinks is the ultimate advantage, Nazcheck. For that very reason, it was essential that Wyatt be raised by his own flesh and blood. We must be careful not to push him too far, too fast – the ties of family still bind him, but they are loosening as each day passes. He grows ever more defiant of his father and his Aunts, and he is no longer so sympathetic to his brother's plight. These are all good signs, but the battle for his soul is not over yet."

"You're damn right it isn't, you…," Paige called their enemy something that wasn't repeatable in civilised conversation.

"Wyatt doesn't know he's evil, does he?" Phoebe suddenly said. "I wonder how he explained away the fact that he lives in the Underworld."

Chris looked sharply at his Aunt, realising that she was right. His reasoning might have gotten twisted somewhere down the line, but Wyatt's initial motives had simply been to protect his family from further heartache and exact revenge on his mother's killers. He hadn't knowingly chosen to walk on the dark side.

"Power is seductive," Leo said. "And prolonged use of dark magic corrupts the soul. By the time he realised what was happening, it was probably too late. He was hooked and he had to keep going back for more."

"This guy knows what he's doing, doesn't he?" Prue mused thoughtfully. "He purposely played on Wyatt's grief and his timing was impeccable. Sixteen is an impressionable age - it was the perfect time to reel him in."

"After he had first planted the seed during his babyhood," Leo put in. "Without that, Wyatt might have had the strength to resist. It was a slow, gradual process – I think that's why my other self didn't see it until it was too late."

"Maybe you would have done if I'd told you what he was doing," Chris said dully.

Leo looked at his dejected son. "How long had you known at this point?" he asked, waving his hand at the picture on the wall, where their adversaries were quietly waiting for Wyatt to come round.

"I don't know – about two, maybe three weeks, I guess."

"Then I don't think it would have made a difference," his father said firmly. "Look how strongly he reacted when you tried to prevent him from going – it was already like a drug to him. He was hopelessly addicted at that point. From what my future self's memories tell me, it wasn't much after this that I found out anyway."

Chris nodded, remembering the huge row that had ensued – he'd never seen his mild-mannered father so angry – ever. Grandpa Victor had been staying with them for a few days because Leo had Elder business to attend to, and Wyatt had gotten careless, thinking he didn't have to take so many precautions to avoid being caught out. Leo however, had orbed back home a day earlier than expected, and had caught his son red-handed just as he had been climbing out of his bedroom window.

"I never knew about him though," Chris felt the need to say.

Leo nodded. "No, me neither - not in the beginning anyway. My future self just thought that Wyatt was recklessly hunting down demons for revenge. He had no idea that there was more to it."

"So when did you find out the truth?" Piper asked her husband. She was pale, her face tear-streaked, but she also had a look of resigned acceptance in her brown eyes.

"I…," Leo started to say when the window to the future suddenly emitted a loud, crackling pop and went blank.

Chris stared at it in horror. No! This could not be happening. It wasn't enough. There were still so many unanswered questions to resolve. They'd learned some more about how Wyatt had been turned, but they still didn't know anything about why. And more importantly, who had done it. This was not happening. It wasn't.

The silence dragged on interminably as they all stared at the hovering circle of light, desperately willing it not to vanish. Eventually though, it popped again and the picture inside returned. This time it showed Leo, and an older-looking Paige and Phoebe, sitting around the kitchen table in the Manor. All of them had tense, worried expressions on their faces. Chris had no recollection of this, but the pained look on his Dad's face told him that he did.

"This is it," Leo said quietly. "This is when we realised that we'd lost him."

_**To be continued…**_


	24. Emancipation

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **New chapter for you all. Sorry for the delay in updating – I seem to say that a lot with this story, don't I? I'm not quite sure why, but this always takes a lot longer to come together than my other story does. Weird!

Anyway, thanks for the reviews – I've replied to any questions/queries using the new reply system.

_**

* * *

Last time… **_

The silence dragged on interminably, as they all stared at the hovering circle of light, desperately willing it not to vanish. Eventually though, it popped again and the picture inside returned. It showed Leo, and an older-looking Paige and Phoebe, sitting around the kitchen table in the Manor. All of them had tense, worried expressions on their faces. Chris had no recollection of this, but the pained look on his Dad's face told him that he did.

"This is it," Leo said quietly. "This is when we realised that we'd lost him for good."

**

* * *

Chapter 24 **

"I think my future self wanted me to have this memory for a reason," Leo continued thoughtfully. "He was only supposed to give me the memories that revolved around Chris. Some of the memories are pure Wyatt though and nothing to do with Chris at all – significant episodes like this. I guess he wanted me to be able to recognise the signs."

"Where was I?" Chris asked curiously.

"At Victor's," Leo told him, his expression strained. "I didn't want you to witness this. It didn't really work out that way of course – you had to deal with the consequences when you got home anyway."

Chris nodded, remembering now. This must have been when Wyatt had walked out of the Manor for good, turning his back on his family and irrevocably tearing them apart at the seams. Chris had never really known what had happened that night. He supposed he was finally about to find out.

"Are you sure about this Leo?" Paige from the future vision said then, drawing everyone's attention back to the scene playing out in front of them.

Leo's future self nodded. "I don't like it but I can't see any other way. I've tried talking to him, shouting at him, grounding him even, but nothing seems to be getting through. If I'm going to help him, I need to know what's been going on. At the moment, I'm fighting blind and things are getting worse by the day. It's all starting to get out of hand."

"But why now?" Phoebe asked. "The situation has been deteriorating for weeks. Why have you decided to take such drastic action now?"

"Phoebe…"

"No, Leo. This is our nephew we're talking about here and what you're asking us to do, it's just… I trust you but I need to know why."

"We both need to know," she added, throwing a quick look at her younger sister who was sitting beside her.

"I explained…"

"Not properly you didn't," Paige interjected. "Phoebe's right, this has come completely out of the blue. You were all for the softly, softly approach until yesterday – what's changed?"

Leo sighed and rested the bridge of his nose against his interlocked fingers. "Because yesterday Chris accidentally tipped a cup of coffee down the front of his shirt," he began, "Then refused to take it off so I could put it in the wash. He said he'd go upstairs, change and bring it back down instead. I knew something wasn't quite right so I followed him up to his room and…,"

Leo stopped, his blue-green eyes filled with desperate concern. "And his back was covered in scratches and bruises," he eventually said, prompting horrified gasps from both Phoebe and Paige.

"He said he fell…" Leo went on.

"But you didn't believe him?" Paige asked soberly.

Leo shook his head. "Why hide it if that's all that happened?"

"You don't think Wyatt did it?" Phoebe was shocked that her brother-in-law could even think that.

"That's exactly what I think," Leo said. "Chris denied it of course, but I know when my sons are lying to me."

"But his own brother, Leo…"

"I know – that's why I think this is necessary. Wyatt acting out over Piper's death is one thing – bullying his little brother like that is quite another. I won't tolerate it. There is no excuse for that kind of behaviour. It has to stop – now."

Phoebe and Paige exchanged a significant look and then nodded at Leo in resigned agreement.

"What did Wyatt do to you?"

Dragging his gaze away from his future father and Aunts, Chris looked over his shoulder at Piper, who had leaned forward to ask him the question, her brown eyes filled with horrified concern. "It's okay, Mom…"

"No! It isn't okay, dammit! I want to know."

Chris sighed. "I followed him," he said quietly, "Not discreetly enough apparently. I'm pretty certain he knew I was there right from the beginning. He still let me tail him all the way to some alleyway somewhere though. It was the same one that we just saw him orb down to Underworld from, come to think of it. Anyway, he confronted me there and… well, teleorbed me backwards into a load of dumpsters. That's how I got all the bruises and scratches. I don't remember anything after that – I think I hit my head and passed out. He was gone when I came round."

"He just left you there?" Piper was horror-struck.

Chris nodded. "But it wasn't really Wyatt, Mom. The real Wyatt, I mean – he wouldn't have done that. I know he wouldn't... I know."

He turned back to face the front, his eyes back on the vision of his future. "I was weak then," he admitted. "This new Wyatt – he scared the hell out of me. I didn't know how to handle it."

"And he doesn't scare you now?" Paige asked curiously.

Chris looked over at her with a rueful shake of his head. "Not in the same way, no. It wasn't much after this that he kidnapped you and Phoebe, and then cast the memory-altering spell to try to bring me round to his way of thinking. That changed everything. I was all alone in the world…"

"Well, I thought I was alone," he amended with a quick look at his father. "I had a choice. I could either give up or fight for my family and what I believed in. I chose the latter."

"Spoken like a true Halliwell," Prue said approvingly.

"I think it was more a question of survival," Chris replied modestly. "If I'd faltered from that conviction, even for a moment, I would have been lost. What Wyatt wanted me to be part of, I couldn't let that happen. I'd have rather died than become... that. Resistance was the only other option available to me."

Prue opened her mouth to reply but the sound of a slamming door from the window into the future distracted her. The older versions of Leo, Paige and Phoebe all sat up straighter in their chairs, their expressions wary but grimly determined.

"Wyatt – could you come in here for a moment please?" Future Leo called out to his son.

There came the hollow echo of approaching footsteps and then the teenage Wyatt once again entered the frame. His appearance was so drastically different from the previous vision however, that Piper couldn't prevent the soft gasp that escaped her lips at the sight.

Wyatt was taller, significantly older too – seventeen maybe eighteen years of age. The boy was gone – her son was a man now, dressed top to toe in black with long, straggly hair and a proud, disdainful look on his handsome face. Contempt glittered bright in his ice-blue eyes as he regarded his family with a barely concealed sneer on his lips.

"Now here's a welcome committee," he drawled sarcastically.

Leo ignored him. "Sit down; we want to talk to you," he said sternly, his tone hard and impassive.

Wyatt didn't comply, but instead shot a scornful look at his father. "About what?"

Leo's temper snapped. "About why your brother is covered in bruises that's what!"

A muscle twitched in Wyatt's right cheek at this, but otherwise he didn't react to the undercurrent of accusation in his father's voice. "Shouldn't you be asking him that?"

"I did."

"And what? He said I was responsible, did he?"

"No actually, he didn't," Leo replied. "But I'm not stupid, Wyatt."

"Funny," Wyatt said with a twisted grin. "I rather thought you were. Now if you've quite finished…"

Turning on his heel, he made to leave. Paige shot a questioning look at Leo, who nodded, his expression bleak. She nodded back and then steeled herself to do what was necessary.

"Crystals," she ordered with a wave of her hand, instantly trapping her unsuspecting nephew in a magical cage.

"What the hell?" Wyatt demanded, swinging around to confront them, his eyes blazing with sudden anger.

Leo got to his feet and moved to stand in front of his fuming son, his arms folded across his chest. "I said we're going to talk," he repeated, his tone brooking no opposition.

"This won't hold me for long," Wyatt threatened, glaring at the shimmering bars of the crystal cage that encapsulated him.

"I'm aware of that," Leo replied. "It'll hold you for long enough though."

Wyatt laughed derisively. "And what are you going to do, Dad? Torture me for answers?"

"If I have to," Leo told him calmly.

For the first time, Wyatt looked a little unnerved. "You wouldn't," he accused. "You don't have the guts."

"No?" Leo said, his eyes fixed upon his son's face. "I don't think you know what I'm capable of when the occasion demands it, Wyatt."

"They'd stop you," his son shot back, gesturing over at his Aunts.

"No they wouldn't. We all agreed – we'd do whatever it takes."

Wyatt turned his gaze on Phoebe and Paige then, who both stared back at him, their expressions sad but calmly resolute.

"This is madness," he burst out incredulously. "I'm your nephew!" He turned back to his father, "Your son!"

"And Chris is your brother," Leo retorted. "What did he do to deserve such treatment?"

"Stuck his nose in where it wasn't wanted if you must know."

"You mean he tried to stop you going out demon-hunting," Leo surmised. "Something I should have put an end to a long time ago. This obsession of yours – it isn't doing you any good, Wyatt. Look at yourself; look at what you're becoming. Revenge is never the answer – all it does is eat away at you inside until there's nothing left. It's not going to bring your Mom back, nothing will. Just let it go. Move on with your life."

"Thanks for the advice, Dad, but it's a bit too late for all the whitelighter moralising crap. I hate to burst your bubble, but I've already moved on - like a year ago. Someone showed me a better way. I'm the one in control of my destiny now – nothing or nobody will ever cross me again."

"What do you mean 'someone showed you a better way'?" Paige asked sharply.

"They're all dead," Wyatt went on, ignoring his Aunt's question. "The demons that killed Mom, every last one of them. Their species is extinct. I did that. What did you three do? Expand the entry in the Book of Shadows that's what! And what did that achieve? A big fat nothing!"

"How did you eliminate an entire species?" Leo asked quietly, his expression filled with worried concern as a horrible suspicion began to grow inside of him.

"With Itona's Globe."

Leo's blue-green eyes widened in horror. "That's powerful dark magic, Wyatt."

"I can handle it," Wyatt told him arrogantly.

"Nobody can handle it!" Leo returned, his voice rising in volume. "What were you thinking? Haven't I always warned you…?"

"Oh yeah, you've warned me…," Wyatt interrupted. "You've been given great power, son. You must use it responsibly. Don't let yourself get seduced by what you can do with it," he mimicked cruelly. "All my life you've been trying to suppress me, trying to stop me from becoming everything I'm supposed to be."

"That isn't true." Leo shook his head in denial.

Wyatt laughed again. "No? So why have I learned more in the past eighteen months than you, Mom and the Aunts have taught me in seventeen years then? I'm actually kind of surprised you didn't bind my powers when I was little. That'd be so like this family – all pretty words and no real action."

"And where exactly did you learn whatever it is you've been learning?" Paige demanded.

"I can't tell you that. It's irrelevant anyway."

"Like hell it is!"

"I think I'm bored with this conversation now," Wyatt remarked laconically. "In fact I'm bored with this whole family if you want to know the truth. The only one with any kind of potential is Chris and you're determined to turn him into a pathetic clone of yourselves…"

He put on a high, whining voice. "'Please don't go down to the Underworld again, Wyatt. It's wrong. It's too dangerous. You might get hurt. Dad says this, Dad says that…' Well forgive me if I don't really care what Dad says anymore. You always were a sorry excuse for a father anyway, I just didn't realise it until now."

"You don't mean that," Phoebe accused, her eyes wet with shiny tears.

"Don't I, Aunt Pheebs? Sorry but I sure as hell do."

"What happened to you? How did you get so…?" Phoebe faltered, bringing her hands up to cover her mouth as her lower lip quivered in reaction to his taunting.

"Aww! Don't cry, Aunt Phoebe," Wyatt mocked. "You needn't worry your pretty little head about me. I'm fine. Never been better in fact. I do have some place to be though, so if you'll excuse me…"

Without warning, he reached out and grasped hold of a bar of the crystal cage holding him captive. The cage buzzed and hissed in reaction, but Wyatt showed no evidence of pain, he simply twisted his wrist and effectively snapped the cage. It exploded with a loud bang, catapulting various pieces of furniture across the room. Leo, Paige and Phoebe all dived to floor, their arms over their heads to protect themselves from the flying debris. When the dust settled and they rose to their feet again, Wyatt was gone.

"Upstairs," Leo said, but faltered mid-orb when he heard heavy footsteps descending the stairs. He rushed out into the hall, a dishevelled Paige and Phoebe hard on his heels. Wyatt had just reached the bottom step, a bulging backpack slung over his right shoulder and the Book of Shadows tucked under his left arm.

"Ahh – that's nice, you've all come to say goodbye. You needn't have bothered you know. I couldn't be happier to see the back of the lot of you."

"Book of Shadows!" Paige gritted her teeth and forcibly orbed the family heirloom away from her nephew's grasp into her own hands. "If you want to rid yourself of this family then you won't be needing that," she told him.

Wyatt shrugged nonchalantly. "No matter – you can have it. For now at least anyway."

He reached out to open the door, but was forced to leap backwards when Leo shot a stream of energy bolts at the handle, making it white-hot and impossible to touch.

"Nice try, Dad. Too bad it's too little, too late."

"This conversation is not over, Wyatt."

"No actually it is, because I am done! DOOR!"

The entire front door vanished in a mixture of blue and black lights, making Phoebe gasp in horror and Paige turn deathly pale, as both of them finally realised just how far down the path into darkness that their nephew really was.

"Well that's new," Wyatt commented, looking down at his outstretched hand. "Ahh well, never did like the colour anyway. It always was a bit bright."

He stepped over the threshold and turned back to look at them. "Well, I'll be seeing ya!" he said with false cheeriness. "Tell Chris I'll be in touch."

"You stay away from your brother!" Leo warned, his fists clenched by his sides, his face white with shock but his expression indomitable nevertheless.

"Or you'll what?" Wyatt asked, raising his eyebrows sardonically. "Forget it, _Leo,_" His reeling father blanched at the name.

"The only way you can 'protect him'," Wyatt curled his fingers into quote marks as if he didn't see it as protecting at all, "Is to vanquish me and even if you did have the power to do that, I _know_ you won't. You're too weak. Killing your own flesh and blood would be unfathomable to you."

With that, he orbed out in that self same mixture of blue and black lights that he'd previously used to remove the front door. There was a moment of shocked silence after his departure and then Leo forcibly shook himself out of his stunned disbelief.

"Chris!" he murmured, disappearing in a stream of turquoise lights.

Paige turned to a sobbing Phoebe and drew her into a tight hug. "We will get him back," she vowed, letting her own tears flow as she said this. "We will."

Chris looked down at his entwined fingers and kept his gaze resolutely away from his family. He could hear his Mom and three Aunts sniffling in reaction to what they'd just witnessed and he didn't dare look over to where Patty and Penny were sitting together with Wyatt. It would simply be too much to gaze upon his brother's face and see such innocence there.

He felt his father place a comforting hand on his arm, and then winced when the gentle grip unexpectedly tightened. Chris lifted his gaze just in time to see the poignant image of his two Aunt's shared grief shimmer and change into the telltale furniture of their enemy's Underworld home. He drew in a deep breath. This was it; he just knew it. He was finally going to know.

Sure enough, a few moments later, Wyatt entered the cavern and negligently flung his backpack on one of the chairs. "Are you here?" he asked loudly.

"I didn't expect you back so soon." The disembodied voice floated out of the corner as usual.

"Yeah well, I ran into some trouble at home."

"Trouble?" Chris shuddered at the undercurrent of excitement he could hear in his brother's evil mentor's voice.

"Yeah, my Dad discovered some balls and decided to confront me. Coerced my Aunts into helping him too, would you believe. It was a regular convention, I can tell you."

"You didn't tell them anything?"

"About our plans, no. What do you think I am? Stupid? Dad would've immediately gone running to his Elder friends. He'll probably do that anyway, but they won't know what they're up against so we still have the advantage. Anyway, to cut a long story short, I've left home – for good."

"Leo will follow you."

"Probably – but I can block him. He won't find me."

"And you're sure about that, are you? An Elder and his own son – that's a powerful connection. He must not be allowed to discover us."

"I told you, he won't!"

"There is a way to ensure that," their enemy said lightly, almost nonchalantly.

"How?"

"You must sever the link permanently. There is a spell, but it has to be performed of your own free will. It will enhance your power ten-fold incidentally - your connection to your family has always held you back."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"So rid yourself of their binding shackles forever. Cast the enchantment."

There was a blur of purple lights and a piece of yellowing parchment appeared in Wyatt's hand. He looked down and quickly read the spidery verse written on it. "Okay," he agreed after barely a pause for thought. "Not Chris though."

"You must…"

"He can be useful to us."

"He doesn't have your power."

"No, but he's not powerless either. He just needs training. I can persuade him to help us; I know I can. He'll see that this is the only way forward once I explain things properly. And I can block him from sensing me until then."

There was a brief silence as their enemy considered this proposal. "All right, I agree your brother is someone we should think about recruiting to our cause. Maintaining the blood bond will make that easier so, very well, you may omit him from the enchantment."

"That was his mistake," Leo suddenly said, voicing his inner thoughts as the future Wyatt prepared to cast the spell that would divide him from his family for good. "Agreeing to that, I mean. That's how he lost control over him."

Chris looked at his father. "How do you mean?"

"Your brother's soul was so corrupted at this point that his bond with us was the only thing keeping him from turning completely. Severing that link was necessary to get Wyatt on side but he failed to break the bond. He left one string intact - you. You said it yourself, Chris, Wyatt isn't evil in the normal sense of the word – all he wants is power and control."

Chris nodded. "But why did he risk it? He must have known the consequences."

Leo smiled wryly. "I guess he thought you'd be easy prey. Got too overconfident with his victory over Wyatt and forgot that the only reason he succeeded in that endeavour was because he made him vulnerable in the first place."

"You mean whatever he did to him as a baby?"

Leo nodded. "You didn't have that chink in your armour and somehow you found the strength to defy your brother when he pressurised you."

"So why not do the spell at that point then?"

"It's an enchantment that has to be performed of someone's free will, remember? Wyatt wasn't going to let you go, not then. Your refusal to see things his way infuriated him, it made the bond stronger not weaker. If I was a betting man, I'd say you were the reason that Wyatt and him parted company."

On the magical screen in front of them, Wyatt had finished placing various candles and crystals in a symbolic pattern on the floor, and was now standing in the centre of the pentagram-like shape about to recite the spell. Before any words left his mouth however, the vision blurred and refocused itself, just as the effects of the enchantment reached their devastating conclusion.

A mini-whirlwind was whipping up the sand on the floor, while hundreds of blue stars seeped through Wyatt's skin and streamed upwards towards the ceiling and the unsuspecting world above. As the spell ended, he slumped forward, breathing heavily while the dust settled back down around him. When Wyatt straightened up again, Chris drew in a sharp breath, instantly recognising the cold and scarily determined look in his older brother's eyes. He was once again looking upon the tyrannical Wyatt of his future - the transformation was complete.

"And now I think it is time for us to meet face to face," the hollow voice of their enemy formally intoned.

Chris tensed – this was it, he was finally going to know what he had searched so long and hard for.

There was a flare of purple light in the corner of the cavern and then Wyatt's demonic mentor finally stepped out of the darkness and showed his face to his apprentice and the watching Halliwells.

"Geez! No wonder he hides away," Paige exclaimed in reaction to what she saw.

Chris stared at the demon - or was he a man? - and absorbed his horribly disfigured features with morbid fascination. He had a huge scar down the right side of his face, which was so carved into his skin that it looked like his whole cheek was folding in on itself. His eyes were jet-black and glowed with malevolent fire, while his nose was long and protruding and his mouth set into a proud, arrogant sneer.

"Who are you?" Wyatt asked, or rather demanded of his tutor.

From the strident tone of the witch-whitelighter's voice, it was obvious that he wasn't going to accept any cryptic and uninformative answers anymore. Before Wyatt had gained his reply however, the image of the future popped, flickered and died a death.

"What? No!" Chris shook his head in disbelief.

"Alcathan."

Leo's voice was deathly quiet, almost inaudible. The bleakness of his tone immediately attracted the attention of the entire room however.

Chris looked towards his father, but found himself incapable of asking the question that he desperately wanted to ask. Leo's face was pasty white and his wide, staring eyes were still fixed upon the spot on the wall where their previously unnamed adversary had been projected in full Technicolor a few moments ago.

"You know who he is?" Piper asked her husband.

Leo turned to face her and nodded, but seemed unable to speak anything more than the name.

"Alcathan," he repeated.

_**To be continued…**_


	25. The Enemy Revealed

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! Finally made it past the huge case of writer's block that I had with this part – phew! There's a lot of exposition and dialogue in this chapter, which I find difficult to write, so I guess that was the main problem. Anyway, I'm still not entirely happy with the result, but I've kept you waiting long enough for an update, so I've decided it's time to move on. Apologies for any rough edges therefore.

In case you've forgotten, our heroes and heroines have just found out who turned Wyatt, via a spell that helped them look into the future. Leo recognised him as someone named Alcathan, an unexpected discovery that shocked him to the core…

**

* * *

Chapter 25 **

Chris couldn't take his eyes off his father's pale face as he waited for him to say something – anything in fact. Leo seemed knocked for six though and simply stared at his wife and son in mute shock.

As the silence stretched out into an eternity, the young witch-whitelighter was vaguely aware of Paige getting to her feet and crossing to the Book of Shadows, obviously to look up Alcathan. Chris kept his attention focused on Leo though, knowing without knowing how that his father was their best source of information right now.

With a shudder, Leo shook off his stunned stupor and rediscovered his voice. "He won't be in the Book, Paige," he told his sister-in-law. "Nobody but the Elders know about him – well, nobody on our side anyway."

"Who is he?" Prue asked her former whitelighter.

"He rivalled the Source for dominion over the Underworld centuries ago."

"He didn't succeed though."

"No, but not for want of personal power. In those terms, he was – and is - the greater threat. The Source understood that it would take more than that however. He gathered a band of loyal followers, recruited Seers and other weapons to help him achieve his goal. Alcathan fought alone…"

"And lost," Prue filled in for him.

Leo nodded. "He disappeared from the radar after that. Various rumours floated around about his fate: that the Source had destroyed him or the Elders had imprisoned him for instance. But the truth was nobody ever really knew what had happened to him. He just vanished off the face of the earth."

"Seems like he's learned from his previous mistakes," Prue remarked.

"The Darklighter Army," Chris said in sudden realisation. "His followers…"

"And his weapon," Leo finished, turning his gaze on his baby son, who was watching the proceedings with a look of sweet innocence on his little face. "The ultimate power of evil and the ultimate power of good – together they'd be unbeatable."

"To which my future is daily proof," Chris said gravely.

Leo nodded and then frowned thoughtfully. "But Wyatt has the upper hand somehow," he mused half to himself.

"Which means there must be a way to overcome him," Penny said, "Alcathan, I mean."

"Why would he hide himself from everyone though?" Phoebe asked confused. "I know he's not very pretty but…"

"He knows the Elders would mobilise against him if they knew he was back," Leo cut in. "I'm guessing he doesn't want that to happen until he's ready to take them on. It's risky, you see, snatching Wyatt out from under our noses like this. So many things could go wrong. He needs to secure him before he announces to the world that he's returned."

"He never got to do that in my future though, did he?" Chris pointed out. "If he had, I would have known about him."

"I expect he used your brother as figurehead until everything was in place," Leo told his son, "And then when he tried to assume command…"

"Wyatt refused to give up control," Chris finished for him.

Leo nodded. "That's all conjecture of course, but it seems like the most probable scenario."

"So we lure him out into the open and vanquish him before he has a chance to get to Wyatt then," Paige said.

"I don't think it's as simple as that," Leo replied. "Alcathan is immensely powerful – it's unlikely that the Power of Three on its own will be enough to defeat him."

"Why not? We got rid of the Source, didn't we?" Paige objected.

"Yes," Leo agreed, "But it took every ounce of magical power that you and your sisters possess to do it. Don't be fooled by the fact that the Source won the first battle, Paige, Alcathan is in a different league entirely."

"Aren't you exaggerating just a bit, Leo?" Phoebe said then. "You said it yourself that Wyatt is the one in control in the future."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"What I mean is, if Wyatt can defeat him, then surely the Power of Three…" she broke off at her brother-in-law's insistent shake of the head.

"I think we've underestimated just how influential Wyatt grows up to be," he explained, glancing around at the four sisters and their relatives. "I don't mean just you, I mean myself, the Elders, everyone really. I guess, right now, it's hard to believe an innocent baby could ever be so powerful, but my other self's memories tell me that he is - and I'm sure Chris can confirm that."

Chris nodded bleakly when all eyes turned to him for an answer. "Dad's right. I mean you guys kick ass, but Wyatt - the way he is in the future – he's close to being invincible."

"So just because Wyatt can subdue Alcathan doesn't automatically mean that you can," Leo told them, "Even with Prue here to help."

"But we can't sit on our hands and do nothing," Phoebe insisted.

"I know that, but I think you need to take a step back and avoid acting impulsively. This is a war, Phoebe. Alcathan has been planning it for centuries now. You're not going to find a way to overcome him in the space of a day, however much you might want to."

"So what do you suggest then?" Piper asked.

"Well, for a start – I think I should go and consult with the other Elders. My knowledge of Alcathan is limited, but there are those who have spent decades studying him. They'll know better how to act."

"Wait," Piper interrupted. "Are you saying that we should let the Elders decide what to do?"

Her husband nodded. "This is a battle that you and your sisters can't fight alone, Piper. I know you've had your differences with us in the past, but right now, we're your greatest allies. You have to let us do our job."

"But Wyatt is our son!" Piper exclaimed. "And stop talking like you're one of them."

"I am one of them," Leo reminded her. "But," he added with emphasis. "I'm also a father and you know I wouldn't do anything to put our boys in danger. I honestly believe that the Elders can help us with this. Just give them a chance, okay? If you don't like what they come up with, then fair enough, but at least ask them for advice."

"All right," Piper agreed, albeit reluctantly. "Go and talk to your Elder buddies and see what they have to say."

Leo nodded and rose to his feet. "I could be a while," he said. "And I'll warn you now - it's unlikely that you'll get an instant answer from them. Alcathan returning is a huge deal. It could take weeks, maybe even months of debate before the Elders decide what to do."

"But Wyatt doesn't have that long!" Piper protested.

"Yes he does," Leo disagreed. "According to my future self, Alcathan made his move just before Wyatt's second birthday and that's still over a year away yet. I know you want this to be over as soon as possible, but we'll have a greater chance of success if we don't rush into things. My other self warned you that you might have to think more strategically. You need to trust his judgement on that."

"Well, there's no way I'm sitting around with my feet up," Paige declared stridently. "I don't care what you say."

"I wouldn't expect you to, Paige," Leo assured her. "I think you girls should continue with the reconnaissance work in the mean time. Knowledge is leverage, and we're lacking in both at present. Go over what we saw today and draw up a list of things that you think we should investigate. We'll have to try to stay under the radar though - our only advantage right now is that Alcathan doesn't know that we know about him. It's important that we keep it that way."

"He has a point," Prue said to her sisters, who nodded in reluctant agreement, not used to fighting their battles in this subversive fashion, but seeing the logic to it nonetheless.

"I'll probably be away for a couple of days," Leo said, bending to kiss his wife farewell. "Take care and you…" He pointed at his youngest son. "Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."

"He never used to be this 'take chargey', right?" Phoebe said after he had orbed out.

"Leo has a higher responsibility now," Patty reminded her daughter.

"And he has my other Dad's memories," Chris added. "That changes things too."

"All right," Penny said briskly, her peremptory tone making them all sit up and pay attention. "I think it's time to reverse the spell on Melinda's amulet. Your mother, sister and I ought to be getting home. There's nothing more we can do here. It's down to you girls now."

"Actually Grams, I think I might stick around for a bit longer," Prue said.

"You shouldn't be here at all," Penny said reprovingly.

"But I am," Prue replied calmly, "And I don't think I would have been able to cross over if there wasn't a reason for me to be here."

"Despite my nephew's cunning little subterfuge," she added with a conspiratorial wink at Chris. "I'm around to help in the future, right?" she asked of him.

"No!" Piper cut in sharply before her son could reply. "Leo said summoning you would be safe, but only if no one revealed too much about the future to you. I love you, Prue, but I will not let you jeopardise my son's life just to satisfy your curiosity."

"Piper!" Prue said, shocked by the inference. "He's my nephew. You know I would never do anything to hurt him. I can't see the harm in him confirming what I already know though."

"And what do you already know?" Piper asked.

"That I'm supposed to save Chris from something some time in the future. I don't know what, when or how, but I know that if I don't, something that has to occur won't. I also know that if I succeed, it will change me in some way."

"What way?" Phoebe asked.

Prue shrugged. "I don't know. At first, I thought they meant that I would become a whitelighter, but now I'm not so sure."

"Do you know?" Phoebe enquired of her nephew.

"Chris – don't answer that," Piper cut in sharply.

"Mom, it's all right," he said soothingly, but his mother was having none of it.

"No, it is _not_ all right. I only agreed to this if everyone kept their mouths shut."

"I'm not going to tell Aunt Prue anything more than what she's already guessed, I swear," Chris assured her. "I don't have a death wish, you know."

"And I promise I won't ask for any extra details, Piper," Prue vowed to her sister.

Still a little unsure, Piper looked between them before she eventually – and reluctantly - gave in to their persuasion. "All right, you can answer the question – but keep the answer vague, okay?"

Chris grinned. "No problem. I'm good at that," he quipped, making Piper smile despite her concern for his future wellbeing.

The witch-whitelighter glanced over at his Aunt then. "Yes, you are around more in the future - although not permanently," he told her cryptically. "And yes, you become more than the summoned soul that you are right now, but you're right, you're not a whitelighter. There – is that vague enough for everyone?"

"You know when I was alive? Did I ever tell you guys how much I hate riddles?" Prue remarked mournfully.

Chris laughed at his Aunt's chagrin. "Well, you did ask," he told her unsympathetically.

"You could at least try to pretend that you're not enjoying this," Prue remonstrated.

"What for?" Chris shot back with wide-eyed ingeniousness. "This is way too good an opportunity to miss."

Prue folded her arms across her chest and regarded him thoughtfully. "Why do I get the impression you're the bane of my afterlife?" she said.

Chris shrugged his shoulders. "Beats me," he said airily.

He then shot her a distinctly roguish grin, his green eyes sparkling with silent laughter, and Prue shook her head in indulgent exasperation.

"Spare me please!" she lamented with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

An hour or so later, when the spell on the amulet had been reversed and Patty and Penny had returned to the afterlife, Chris and the remaining members of his family gathered in the conservatory to discuss what their next move should be.

"Right," Prue said, taking charge of the situation as if she'd never been gone. "Leo said we should think about what we found out from our glimpse into the future. So, other than the obvious, what else of use did we learn today?

"Nazcheck," Chris said.

"Alcathan's disciple guy?" Phoebe enquired. "What about him?"

"He was one of the darklighters being recruited yesterday," Chris explained. "I think I should try and find out more about him. He turned from Mr Sceptical to Mr Fanatical in a few years – there has to be a reason for that."

Prue nodded. "Okay - what else?"

"That Globe thingy Wyatt used to annihilate those demons?" Paige ventured hesitantly, still a bit uncomfortable with the different dynamics that having her eldest sister around had created.

"Itona's Globe? What about it?"

"Well, Future Leo said to think more long term, so maybe we should consider what happens if we can't stop Alcathan from getting to Wyatt. He said in the vision that Wyatt's soul was difficult to corrupt, so I think we should do everything in our power to make it even harder. It can't be a coincidence that the spell showed us that particular moment – it had to be a big turning point. If we can find the Globe and destroy it, maybe we can give Wyatt the strength to fight back."

"Makes sense," Prue agreed with an approving nod. "Okay – you and Phoebe look into that."

The topic of their conversation distracted them all with his whimpering cries for attention then, and Piper rose to her feet to go to see to him.

"I think it's someone's bedtime," she said as she lifted her son from his playpen and jigged him up and down in her arms to calm him. "We're done here, right?" she asked.

Hearing the beseeching undertone in her sister's voice, Prue nodded. "Yeah, I think so," she replied, "For the time being at least. It's been one hell of a day; I think we should all take some time out to relax, don't you?"

With a weary sigh, Piper turned and trudged up the stairs with Wyatt, her tired footsteps betraying the emotional toll the day's events had taken on her.

"Okay, so who's for pizza?" Phoebe said, breaking the slightly awkward silence that followed her departure. She looked over at Prue. "Do ghosts eat?"

"This one does," Prue said, rubbing her stomach for emphasis. "I would kill for pizza right now. I haven't eaten anything in years. Speaking of which – have you guys got any ice-cream?"

"Umm, I finished the last tub yesterday," Paige admitted apologetically. "I had a sudden craving for choc chip fudge brownie."

"Understandable," Prue said.

Paige got to her feet. "I'll go and get some more," she said. "Pizza isn't pizza without ice-cream to follow."

"Too true," Prue agreed solemnly, flashing her previously unknown sister a warm smile. Paige shyly returned it and then followed Phoebe out of the room.

After her two siblings had left, Prue glanced over at her nephew, who was staring blankly at the opposite wall, his face a mask of guilt and his green eyes shadowed with remorse.

"It's not your fault," she reassured him softly, quickly guessing the nature of his thoughts.

Chris sighed and closed his eyes. "I was supposed to keep my identity secret so no one would have to know the truth about Wyatt. I completely messed that one up, didn't I?"

"Your Mom is a strong woman, Chris," Prue told him. "She can handle it."

"But she shouldn't have to!"

"And neither should you!" Prue returned. "Given a choice, I'm sure Piper would sooner know the truth about you than not. Imagine how she'd feel in fifteen/sixteen year's time when her second child grew up into you if you never revealed your identity while you were here."

Chris looked down at his hands. "I guess I hadn't thought of that."

"Obviously."

There was a short silence and then Chris turned to look questionably at his Aunt. "How come you already know about me?" he asked with a puzzled frown. "Technically I don't exist yet."

"The Elders take a peek into the future every now and again – they knew Piper and Leo were destined to have another child," Prue replied. "I didn't know it was you until Mom and Grams came back after their last visit though. Up until then all I knew was that I was supposed to save my future nephew or niece from something, and that it was extremely important that I did so."

"Because something that has to happen won't if you fail."

Prue nodded. "Exactly. The Elders believe that Destiny has its own path," she explained, "But that the choices we make can affect the direction of it. They believe that the 'signs' they get from their glimpses into the future are Destiny's way of telling them when things are straying too far from the chosen path. And, more importantly, what needs to be done to get things back on track."

"Makes sense I suppose – although I can't imagine why saving me is so important."

Prue smiled. "I would say because of this," she answered. "You travelling back in time to warn of the threat to Wyatt I mean. Someone has to stop history from repeating itself."

"So what? I'm like a cosmic band-aid?"

Prue laughed. "Something like that I guess."

"If that's the case, then why is it necessary for you to save me this time around then?"

"Please don't ask me that," his Aunt complained. "My brain hurts just thinking about trying to fathom that one out. For simplicity's sake, let's just say it's because you've earned the right to see the future that Destiny originally intended, shall we?"

"And the fact that this family could never be complete without you of course," she added after a beat.

Chris coloured at that. "Now I know you're just being facetious," he remarked glibly to cover his embarrassingly emotional reaction.

"And I was wondering where you got that from," Prue countered with a broad smile.

Standing up, she reached over and affectionately ruffled his hair. "I'm looking forward to getting to know you, kid."

After Prue had left the room in search of her sisters, Chris settled back into the cushions of the wicker love-seat with a deep sigh. It was at times like these that he really missed the original incarnation of his father. Seeing his past played out like that in front of him had brought all the fear and pain of that time back with a vengeance, and he couldn't help wishing that he had his Dad around to talk to. He didn't think that this Leo – even with his other self's memories – could properly understand what it was like. And, even if he did, he wasn't yet comfortable enough with their relationship to confide in him voluntarily anyway.

Phoebe poked her head around the doorframe then, interrupting her nephew's melancholic musings. "I forgot to ask – what do you like on your pizza?"

"Ham, green peppers and mushrooms," Chris replied, "But no olives – they make me heave."

Phoebe nodded. "Okay – got it," she said, disappearing back into the kitchen to finish placing their order. Afterwards, she rejoined him in the conservatory.

"Are you all right?" she asked as she sat down beside him.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"It must have been difficult for you to see all of that today."

"I think it was difficult for everyone."

"Yes, but you were the one who experienced it firsthand."

Chris nodded, forcibly swallowing the painful lump that had risen in his throat. "I'm okay – honestly," he said, his voice breaking as he spoke and invalidating his words.

"You should talk to him, you know," Phoebe went on.

"Who?"

"Leo."

"I don't…"

"Your Dad asked me to make sure you didn't internalise things after he was gone," Phoebe interrupted. "He said you might be a bit reticent out of some misplaced need to protect us."

"My…my Dad asked you?" Chris queried, more than a little confused by this pronouncement.

"Yes – in the letter he left for me," Phoebe replied. "He said he could rely on me to be persistent to the point of annoyance, which, I have to say, I'm not entirely sure was meant as a compliment."

She shot her nephew a small smile before continuing. "I'm prepared to let him off the hook though;" she went on, "Seeing as he said some other, much nicer things about me to make up for it."

Chris shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe he left you tips on how to manipulate me," he said ruefully.

Phoebe laughed. "He's your father – what do you expect? Seriously though – he gave our Leo his memories for a reason. He wanted you to have someone to confide in. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"

"No, no, I guess not," Chris said quietly, blinking back the involuntary tears that sprang to his eyes.

Phoebe reached over and gently squeezed his hands. "Just talk to Leo when he gets back from 'up there', okay?"

"Okay," Chris agreed.

Phoebe nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

A tinkling orb sound announced the return of Paige then, and they both looked up as she called out to them from the kitchen.

"Hey guys – I could use some help in here. I got chips and dips too – thought we might as well turn this into a complete junk food fest."

"Come on," Phoebe said, urging her nephew to his feet. "The pizza'll be here soon and you know your Mom's never gonna let us eat it out of the box in the living room. She'll expect plates and cutlery at the very least."

OOOOOO

"Hey! Can I come in?"

Prue tapped lightly on the doorframe, prompting her sister to look up from her rapt contemplation of her son's face. The dark-haired witch was sitting in the rocking chair by the cot, her baby boy cradled protectively in her arms.

Piper smiled. "Sure," she said, beckoning her elder sister in.

Prue crossed the room and perched on the arm of the chair. "Are you okay?" she asked, reaching out to gently stroke her sister's hair with her fingers.

"Define okay," Piper responded, returning her gaze to Wyatt's chubby features. She sighed, "I'm a Mom, Prue."

Prue smiled. "Yeah, so I see," she said softly, leaning over and lightly touching her tiny nephew's chubby cheek. "He really is beautiful, Piper. And Chris, well, he's a credit to you too."

"And yet, I failed to protect either of them from the horrors of this world," Piper said sorrowfully. "I left them when they needed me the most."

"That was hardly your fault, Piper."

"I wish I could believe that, Prue, I really do. You have no idea what it's like to see your child so power hungry and horribly unpleasant to the people who love him the most. And Chris… God. Seeing him like that, knowing how he suffered over my death and because of what his brother did to him, that's even worse than what happened to Wyatt somehow."

Prue pressed a kiss to the top of her sister's bent head. "But he got through it, Piper - because of the strength that _you _gave him. He loves you, anybody can see that."

With a wistful sigh, Piper raised her gaze to her sister's face. "I missed you, Prue," she confessed.

"I missed you too, but something tells me that we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other in the future."

"Well good – maybe I'll get a break from having to be the responsible one all the time. Hopefully, I'll be able to spend some quality time with my boys instead."

"Being the eldest sister sucks sometimes, huh?"

Piper nodded. "Tell me about it. I don't know how you did it."

"I gritted my teeth frequently," Prue returned teasingly, making her sister smile despite her heavy heart.

"It'll give you a chance to get to know Paige properly as well," Piper went on.

"She seems to have her head screwed on straight," Prue remarked.

"Meaning that Phoebe doesn't?" Piper enquired artfully.

Prue laughed at her younger sibling's playful jest. "That wasn't what I meant," she protested.

Piper's expression sobered again. "She's grown up a lot you know - Phoebe I mean. She's had to, what with losing you and everything that happened with Cole. Her job at the newspaper has given her more direction as well. She's not the baby of the family any more."

"No – it seems two recent additions have taken over that particular role," Prue replied.

Getting to her feet, Piper laid a sleeping Wyatt in his cot and tucked his blanket around him, propping his teddy bear up at the end of the crib once he was comfortably settled. She looked down on him for a moment and then, all of a sudden, her composure broke.

"I'm scared, Prue," she confessed tearfully. "What if we can't stop Alcathan? What if…"

"We will," Prue said firmly, coming up alongside her and slipping an arm across her shoulders. With a dry sob, Piper turned into the offered embrace and finally let her emotions overflow.

"Your boys are going to grow up happy and healthy, I promise," Prue said in a soothing tone, rubbing her hand in comforting circles over her crying sister's back. "You have to start believing that."

Piper nodded. "I'll try," she said brokenly. "I'll try."

"Hey guys! Pizza's up!" Phoebe's voice echoed up the stairs cutting through the emotion-filled moment.

Piper pulled away, wiping her eyes. "You go," she said. "I need a minute to compose myself. I don't want Chris to see me like this. He'll only feel responsible for something that's not his fault."

Prue nodded in agreement, having already witnessed her nephew's tendency towards self-recrimination where his mother was concerned. "All right – are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine. Go – I'll be down in a minute."

Piper watched Prue leave and then turned back to the cradle, looking down on her sleeping son.

"Mommy's not going to let anything happen to you or your little brother, okay?" she said tenderly, brushing a curly lock of his blond hair off his forehead. "That future is not going to happen. Ever. I don't care what I have to do to stop it."

**OOOOOO**

_**Two weeks later…**_

"No – too early," Chris groaned in annoyance as a shrill beep-beeping noise reverberated around inside his skull like a pneumatic drill.

Reaching out a hand, he muted the alarm and turned over onto his back as the last vestiges of sleep melted away. Trying to shut out the awful pounding in his head, he closed his eyes again, his mind rewinding over the events of the last couple of weeks.

His Aunt Prue had stayed around for six days before finally returning to the afterlife with strict instructions to summon her if they needed her help again, and Chris found that he missed her company after she had gone. The two of them had always shared a close relationship, partly because she'd saved his life as a child, but also because they had inherited the same Charmed power. He was pleased to discover that that connection already existed between them, despite the fact that he hadn't been born yet. It was a comfort to know that there were things in his life that would remain the same whichever timeline he was in.

As Leo had predicted, the Elders were taking their time to decide how best to approach the thorny dilemma of Alcathan's return, and had instructed the girls to continue with their information gathering while they debated the issue.While Chris shared his mother's growing impatience with this state of affairs, he also understood why it was necessary to be sure of their plan of action before going on the offensive too.

He had lived under his brother's oppressive regime in the future, you see - the foundations of which had been put into place by Alcathan - and therefore knew better than anyone why they couldn't afford to be complacent about their enemy's determination to achieve his endgame. Wyatt's dominion was absolute and the various means by which he kept his tyranny under control were frighteningly effective. Alcathan was not an opponent to be taken lightly therefore.

As for the progress of his own investigations, Chris had spent the previous evening in an underground demon bar, swapping fake whitelighter assassination stories with the bottle-blond darklighter, Nazcheck, while simultaneously trying to resist the urge to shoot the murderous son of a bitch through the heart with his stolen bow and arrow.

After several such encounters, he was beginning to understand why Nazcheck had ended up being such a fanatical supporter of Alcathan's rule despite his initial scepticism. The darklighter seemed to take sadistic pleasure in the pain he inflicted on his victims and, more often than not, deliberately prolonged their suffering by shooting them in a place where the poison would take the longest to take effect. He also had psychological torture down to a fine art and thought nothing of forcing his victim's charges to watch helplessly while their whitelighter's life ebbed away in front of them.

Opening his eyes again, Chris massaged his temples with his fingertips, trying to will away the pounding headache that was getting worse by the second. He didn't understand it; he couldn't possibly have a hangover. He'd only feigned drinking the beer at the bar last night, needing to keep his wits about him to avoid blowing his cover. Deciding a shower would help to clear his fuzzy head, he pushed back the covers, swung his legs over the side of the bed, and rose to his feet in one smooth, unbroken move – an action that he ended up regretting a split second later.

A wave of dizziness washed over him almost immediately and his legs buckled, seemingly unable to bear his weight. Unable to recover his equilibrium, he fell heavily against the cabinet next to the bed, knocking over the lamp and picture frame as he put his hand out to break his fall. The items crashed to the floor, shattering on impact, and Chris cried out in pain when the resulting shards of glass and broken pottery cut into his flesh as he slumped to the floor shortly afterwards.

As the edges of his vision blurred, he was vaguely aware of the sound of running feet, the door crashing open and someone frantically calling his name. The last thing he heard before he slipped into unconsciousness was his mother's panic-stricken voice.

"LEO! Get down here NOW!"

_**To be continued…**_

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P.S. I know that was another evil cliffhanger, but I promise I won't keep you waiting so long for an update this time. I already have the first few pages of the next chapter written. _


	26. Origins

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! As promised, not such a huge gap between updates this time. :-)

So, with no further ado, let's find out how our fallen hero is doing…

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Chapter 26

Summoned by Piper's frantic call for help, Leo orbed in from the heavens at exactly the same moment that his sister-in-laws did the same from downstairs at the Halliwell Manor. "What happened?" he asked, rushing to join his wife at their stricken son's side.

"I don't know!" Piper said, agitatedly wringing her hands over Chris's prone form. "I heard a crash and when I got here, he was unconscious on the floor."

"Okay – help me get him onto the bed," Leo said, hefting Chris into a sitting position with a grunt of effort. "He'll only cut himself again if we don't move him first," he explained off his wife's disbelieving look.

Pulling one of his son's arms over his shoulders, he hooked his other arm around the boy's waist and awkwardly manoeuvred his limp body onto the bed with Piper's help. Perching on the edge of the mattress, he then held his glowing hands out over Chris's unconscious form, while Paige cleared up the mess of broken glass and pottery on the floor with her orbing power.

With Phoebe hovering anxiously behind her, Piper watched with bated breath as the bleeding wounds on her son's bare arms and torso slowly closed up under the healing yellow glow from his father's hands. Her initial relief ended up being short-lived however, because - while his physical wounds repaired themselves quickly enough - Chris's eyes remained resolutely closed, despite Leo's continued efforts to heal him.

"What is it? What's wrong?" she demanded as her husband slowly lowered his hands, his expression one of grave concern.

Leo shook his head. "I don't know. Maybe it's not a physical illness."

"What's that supposed to mean?" she asked sharply, and then quickly turned towards her son when he let out a low groan and began to stir.

Moments later, Chris's eyelids fluttered open and he looked up at his worried parents, his green eyes confused. "Whoa! Did I faint?" he asked, his voice slurring over the words.

"It looks like it," Leo replied. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Umm - I woke up with a horrible headache and then when I went to get up, my legs didn't work."

"How do you feel now?"

"Err – the headache's not so bad, I guess, but I still feel really weird."

"Weird how?" Leo asked.

"I don't know – strange – all light-headed and weak."

"All right," Leo said, quickly going into doctor mode. "You need to get some food inside you – porridge would be good - it releases energy slowly so it will help stabilise your blood sugar levels."

"I'll get it," Phoebe offered, knowing that her sister wouldn't want to leave her son's side at the moment.

Leo smiled gratefully at her and she quietly left the room. When she'd gone, the Elder continued to interrogate his son. "You need to tell us everything that you did yesterday," he instructed.

"You can't heal me," Chris realised, finally understanding why they were all looking at him as if the world was about to end.

"No, no I can't," Leo said, "Which is why it's important that we trace the origin of what's happening to you, so we can work out how to reverse the effects. Other than death, very few things can circumvent an Elder's healing power in this way."

"Okay," Chris replied, trying to sit up but finding that his arms weren't strong enough to bear his weight. "I'll tell you what I did, but I warn you, yesterday was pretty uneventful."

"Dammit!" he swore, flopping back against the bed, frustrated by his inexplicable weakness.

Without comment, Leo propped up several pillows against the headboard and helped him into a half-reclining position. "It doesn't matter," he assured his son, once the young witch-whitelighter was comfortably settled. "Just tell us what you did do."

"Well, I was here with Wyatt for most of the day. Mom had to go to the Club, and as you were 'up there' and the girls were at work, I got stuck with the babysitting duties."

"And nothing unusual happened while we were gone?"

"No – unless you count having to change the world's stinkiest diaper, which was definitely an experience and a half, I can tell you. Baby poop should come with a government health warning attached if you ask me."

Leo smiled, reassured by the fact that his son's biting wit still seemed to be intact despite his weakened physical state. "And you had no visitors? No salesmen at the door or anything like that?"

Chris shook his head. "No. It was just me and Wyatt."

"Right and what about when the girls came home?"

"Well, I helped Mom with dinner and then I went to the demon bar to meet Nazcheck. After listening to his nasty anecdotes for a few hours, I came home and went to bed. That's it."

"And you didn't eat or drink anything while you were out?"

Chris shrugged. "A few mouthfuls of beer at the bar, that's all."

"Did it taste strange or odd in anyway?" Leo pressed.

"In that place it always tastes odd," Chris replied with a shudder. "But I didn't detect anything different from usual if that's what you're asking."

"So you think I've been poisoned then?" he enquired of his father after a beat.

"It's possible," Leo answered, "There are some mystical poisons that are immune to Elder healing powers so it's definitely something we should look into."

"I'll check the Book," Paige said as Phoebe came back into the room, carrying a steaming bowl of porridge and a squeezy bottle of maple syrup.

Reaching out eagerly, Chris took his breakfast from his Aunt and veritably drowned the milky concoction in syrup before tucking in with enthusiasm. His body was desperately craving an energy boost so the food tasted like ambrosia on his tongue. Consequently, he couldn't stop the low moan of pleasure that escaped his throat as he swallowed the first mouthful.

"You should check out the Library at Magic School as well," Leo advised his sister-in-law, "The Book of Shadows might not tell us what we need to know. It was created for the benefit of witches, but healing is a whitelighter power."

Paige nodded absently, her attention more on her nephew than his father. "If he was poisoned, wouldn't it affect his appetite? Make him sick in the stomach?" she asked as she watched Chris devour his breakfast in double-quick time.

Leo cast a searching glance at his son. "Probably," he admitted, "But we shouldn't rule it out as a possibility just because it hasn't. I would look into charms, curses and hexes as well though. It could be something like that or maybe even something more obscure."

"Like what?" Piper asked, anxious concern evident in the wide, frightened look in her brown eyes.

Despite Chris's enthusiastic consumption of his food, she could tell from his physical appearance that there was still something seriously wrong with him. He was deathly pale and sporting dark, bruise-like circles under his eyes too. The lack of substantial clues as to what was causing this mysterious illness made Piper's heart pound in fear and her stomach roil in anxiety. She hated feeling this helpless and out of control, especially where her beloved children were concerned.

"I don't know," Leo replied, his blue-green eyes mirroring her parental concern. "I'll go and ask the other Elders; maybe they'll have more of an idea of what could cause something like this."

"So how do we get to Magic School?" Phoebe asked her brother-in-law.

"There's an enchantment to open a mystical door, but you can also orb in – if you know where you're going," Leo answered. "I'll take you - make a few introductions. We'll drop Wyatt off at the nursery while we're at it as well."

"He'll be safe there," he assured his wife before she could voice an objection. Piper remained unconvinced however.

"It's all right, Mom," Chris said, seeing her dubious expression. "Magic School's cool. Wyatt'll be fine."

Piper regarded him carefully for a few moments and then nodded at her husband, who immediately rose to his feet.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he told her. "But call me if there's anything…"

He stopped and looked over at Chris then, who had wearily closed his eyes, his head lolling back against the mound of pillows that were propping him upright. Leaning forward, the Elder placed his hand on his son's arm and spoke quietly to him.

"Chris?"

Struggling to fight off the aching fatigue inhabiting every cell in his body, Chris forced his heavy eyelids open and looked at his father. "Mmm?"

"We're going to find out what this is, okay?" Leo promised him.

Chris's mouth curled up into a small smile. "I know," he said, closing his eyes again. "So tired…"

"Then get some rest," Leo said, brushing his dark hair away from his face and bending to press a kiss to the top of his head.

"Call me," he repeated to Piper, who had stationed herself in the chair next to the bed.

Piper nodded, her face pale. "Hurry back," she said.

Leo nodded and then went to fetch his baby son from the nursery. Returning a few minutes later with Wyatt in his arms, he held out his free hand towards Paige and Phoebe, who both closed their fingers around his. Locked together in this three-way handhold, they orbed out to Magic School.

As the blue lights dissipated into nothingness, Piper sighed and turned back to Chris, who was clearly struggling to stay awake. "Lie down, honey," she encouraged him, gently cupping the side of his pale face in her hand.

Her son silently obliged, snuggling down under the covers as she tucked them over him and planted a soft kiss on his forehead. He was asleep in a matter of seconds, and Piper settled herself back into the chair to watch over him while he slept…

**OOOOOO**

_**Magic School, four hours later…**_

Paige snapped the book shut and threw it aside with a frustrated sigh.

"No luck?" Phoebe asked as her sister dropped her head into her hands and massaged her temples with her fingertips.

Paige shook her head. "No – nothing of any use anyway. I found two poisons that are immune to whitelighter healing, but the symptoms involve stomach cramps, violent vomiting, high fever – all the physical effects you'd expect to get from ingesting something toxic, but that…"

"Chris doesn't have," Phoebe finished for her.

"Exactly," Paige said. "What about you?" she asked hopefully.

"Err… a curse that induces internal bleeding," Phoebe replied, "But there are particular side effects associated with that too."

She pulled the relevant book towards her and began to read from the text. "Bloodshot eyes, bleeding from the fingernails, blue lips…"

"Still - it sounds a lot more promising than what I've got," Paige said. "Maybe we should look into it some more."

Phoebe shook her head. "No, it's a dead-end. Piper would have called if Chris had gotten any worse. We just have to keep looking - the answer has to be here somewhere."

Paige cast a dismayed look at the floor-to-ceiling bookshelves that lined the walls of the room. "It's like searching for a needle in a haystack," she said in despair.

"I know," Phoebe replied, "But we can't give up, you know we can't."

Paige squared her shoulders and rose to her feet. Now that she had exhausted the poison possibilities, she was intending to check out the section of the Library devoted to hexes. However, before she'd even taken two steps, a germ of an idea suddenly popped into her head.

"Maybe a little magical intervention might help," she said over her shoulder to Phoebe.

Before her sister could ask what she meant, she lifted her voice and spoke in a commanding tone, making a grand sweeping gesture with her right arm as she did so.

"Books containing things immune to whitelighter healing," she called out.

Nothing happened for a moment, and then the room was filled with a veritable array of turquoise lights, as books from all over orbed from the shelves and onto the large table in the centre of the room.

"Well, that narrows it down a bit, don't you think?" Paige declared as she inspected her handiwork.

In spite of her concern for her nephew's state of health, Phoebe couldn't help but smile at her younger sibling's self-satisfied tone.

"A bit," she concurred before her face fell a little. "We've still got some serious reading to do though," she added, eyeing up the six tall stacks of reference books piled up on the table in front of them.

"Let's get to it then," Paige said, taking the top book from the nearest stack and handing to her sister before commandeering the next volume for her own perusal.

Phoebe bent her head over the thick, heavy tome in front of her and began to leaf through it, intent on finding the elusive clue that would hopefully lead them to the solution they were looking for…

**OOOOOO**

_**Back at the Manor…**_

Piper lifted the saucepan lid and took a cautious sniff of its contents. The warm, soothing smell of homemade chicken soup filled her nostrils and she nodded in satisfaction. It was nearly done.

Chris had barely stirred all morning but he had finally roused himself from slumber about an hour ago. When she'd asked him if he needed anything, he had looked up at her with those big green eyes of his and requested this – chicken soup of all things. Evidently, her other self had given it to him and Wyatt whenever they were ill, and she guessed that it had turned into a kind of comfort food for him as a result.

"Why didn't the other me just get your Dad to heal you?" she asked when Chris volunteered this information.

"She did – if it was more serious or went on for too long," he told her. "But if it was just a simple cold or stomach virus, we were made to suffer. Apparently, a little bit of misery is good for the soul."

"I didn't want the two of you to take your good health or your father's abilities too much for granted, you mean," Piper immediately redressed.

Chris's lips curled up into a small smile. "That too, I guess," he agreed.

As she gave the simmering soup one final stir, the sound of heavy footsteps on the stairs startled Piper out of her thoughts. Returning the lid to the pan, she went to investigate, hoping that Leo or her sisters were back at long last. They had been gone for several hours now, and the continuing lack of news was starting to feel like an eternity.

Instead of her husband or sisters though, she found Chris slowly making his way down the steps, holding tightly onto the banister for support.

"What are you doing?" she sharply admonished him. "You should be in bed."

Chris sank down wearily on the steps and shook his head. "I keep falling asleep," he said, resting his forehead in his right hand. "And I'm not sure that's such a good thing right now. I thought that I could maybe watch some TV. It'll give me something to focus on."

He looked at her with mute appeal shining in his green eyes and Piper instantly caved in. "All right," she said, crossing to join him as he heaved himself upright again. "But you should have waited until I could help you. You might have fallen down the stairs."

"I'm okay, Mom," Chris assured her, belying his words by leaning heavily on her for support as they slowly made their way across the hall and into the living room together.

When he finally reached his intended destination, Chris lowered himself onto the couch with a deep sigh of relief. He felt like he'd run a marathon and then some. His whole body ached with weariness and the addictive pull of sleep was difficult to ignore, despite his stubborn determination to push it aside.

While her son struggled to fight off the encroaching tiredness, Piper tried to ignore the horrible feeling of dread growing in the pit of her stomach. Chris's adamant assertion that it was a bad idea for him to sleep worried her immensely. He hadn't said it in so many words, but she got the distinct impression that he wasn't convinced that he would wake up again if he gave into the relentless fatigue, and that scared the hell out of her.

"The soup's ready," she announced when she noticed his eyelids beginning to droop again.

"That's good. Thanks Mom," Chris replied, his voice sounding extremely slurred and oddly childlike. "Can we watch a movie after? You know like we used to?"

"Sure we can, sweetie," Piper answered, trying to keep her voice steady as a cold bolt of fear ran through her entire being.

Although Chris had eventually allowed her to love him as a mother should, he'd always kept her separate from the other version of herself. The fact that he was now mixing the two of them up was not a good sign. It meant that his memory was getting more and more clouded and confused; a happenstance that could only have bad connotations for the state of his health as far as Piper was concerned.

Resisting the urge to call out for her husband, knowing there was nothing much he could do right now, she went back into the kitchen to serve up the soup. While she was buttering several thick slices of bread to go with it though, Leo orbed into the kitchen almost as if he had been summoned by her silent plea for his presence.

"How is he?" he enquired.

Piper shook her head. "I don't know – he's been asleep most of the morning, but he just came downstairs, said he wanted to watch some TV. I think he's scared to go back to sleep, Leo."

Her husband nodded gravely.

"What did the Elders say?" Piper asked him.

"They think it might be something more metaphysical in nature," Leo replied. "That's if it doesn't turn out to be one of the things that Paige and Phoebe are researching, of course. Other than that, they're not really sure."

"I don't understand. What do you mean - metaphysical?"

"Some thing to do with him being out of his own time for so long maybe?" her husband suggested.

"So what do we do? Send him back? Deny him a chance to see a new and different future?"

Leo shook his head. "No – in his letter to me, my other self warned me not to send Chris back through the time portal unless we were absolutely certain that the threat to Wyatt had been eliminated. Wyatt views Chris's actions as the worse kind of betrayal, you see, and my other self thinks he might inadvertently step over the line in a fit of temper and… well, you get the picture."

Piper nodded. "So better he die here surrounded by people who love him? Is that what you're saying?" she asked, her voice shaking with suppressed tears.

"If it comes to that, yes," Leo replied sombrely, "But we're a long way from that point yet, Piper. It's far too early to give up hope. We need to be strong. We'll find a way through this, I know we will."

Piper sucked in a calming breath and nodded, then picked up the tray of food from the counter-top and turned to leave the kitchen. Leo followed her through into the lounge, where they discovered that their son had once again succumbed to the potent pull of sleep. It took an inordinately long time to rouse him and Leo quickly realised that Chris was probably right about the need for him to stay awake. Sleep was gradually slipping into unconsciousness, something that needed to be avoided at all costs.

As Chris began to eat his lunch, Leo placed his hand against his son's clammy forehead and attempted to heal him again. Although it didn't solve the underlying problem, the warm, yellow glow did seem to revive the boy a little, which was at least something. Maybe it was possible for him to slow down the progress of this mysterious illness and give them more time to find an appropriate cure.

"Any news?" Chris asked when he took his hand away.

Leo shook his head. "Not yet," he replied, "But we're working on it."

"Okay," Chris said mildly, absently taking a bite of bread and chewing it slowly.

"Are you in any pain?" Leo asked, concerned by the lack of a reaction from his usually neurotic son. Normally he would be demanding all the details.

"No," Chris said vaguely. "I'm just tired and… floaty."

"Floaty?" Leo queried with a puzzled frown.

"Yeah, like I'm Elder-Land, you know."

Leo nodded, assuming he meant the slightly detached feeling you got from being so high up in the clouds. He didn't understand why anyone would feel that way here on Earth though. "What about the headache?"

"Umm… it's gone, I suppose."

Leo sighed; this was getting more perplexing by the minute. Chris's symptoms just didn't seem to tie in with what you'd expect from poisons, hexes or something else of that ilk. By their very nature, such things were designed to cause pain and suffering to their victims. He had never heard of anything making someone feel 'floaty' before, it simply didn't make any practical sense.

The only logical conclusion, therefore, was that this was something to do with his son's time travelling as his fellow Elders had suggested – which meant that Paige and Phoebe were looking for answers in the wrong place. That thought had him scrambling hurriedly to his feet.

"What is it?" Piper asked worriedly from where she was sitting on the sofa next to Chris.

"I need to speak to Phoebe and Paige," he replied. "I think they need to widen their search a little. Will you be alright here if I help them look?"

His wife nodded. "Of course," she said. "I'll call if we need you."

Leo gave her a curt nod and then orbed out to Magic School…

"We need to start investigating the physical effects of time travel," he informed the younger two Charmed Ones before they'd even properly registered his presence.

Paige and Phoebe exchanged confused looks. "You think that's what this is about?" the latter asked.

"The other Elders do," Leo replied shortly, "And I'm inclined to agree with them. Why would anyone cast a spell to make someone feel tired and weak but otherwise pain-free?"

"They wouldn't," Paige said. "If you were going to do something like that, you'd want to make sure your point was made."

"Exactly," Leo concurred. "I don't think this was purposely done to him, I think it's a consequence of something else."

"Like what?" Phoebe asked.

"Well, that's what we need to find out," Leo said. "This Library has a time-travel section somewhere, I'm sure of it."

**OOOOOO**

**_The Manor, 7pm…_**

Piper closed the bathroom door with a click and headed back down the stairs to rejoin her son. They'd spent the last few hours watching movies, playing board games or simply talking, anything to keep Chris awake and – relatively – alert, although she was starting to sense that his grip on reality was beginning to slip. Under any other circumstances, she would have cherished the time that they'd just spent in one another's company. Unfortunately, the underlying reason behind it had weighed constantly on her mind all afternoon, subsequently driving all enjoyment out of the activity.

Loud music was still blaring out of the speakers when she re-entered the lounge, but to her horror, she saw that it had not been enough to keep Chris awake. He was slumped sideways on the couch, his head on one of the cushions and his eyes closed, his dark lashes resting against his pallid cheeks. He was so still that, for a brief instant, she thought he wasn't breathing - until she noticed the slight up-and-down movement of his chest a few heart-stopping moments later.

Rushing to his side, she frantically tried to waken him, but unfortunately to no avail. There was no getting away from the horrifying reality – he wasn't asleep; he was unconscious. They were starting lose him…

"LEO!" she wailed in a cacophony of grief. This was not happening, it wasn't. It couldn't be…

Her husband and sisters arrived in seconds, each clutching a large book in their arms.

"I can't wake him," Piper said desperately, tears pouring down her cheeks.

Leo dropped his book with a loud clatter and rushed to his son's side. "Chris?" he said, shaking him urgently. "CHRIS!"

Sucking in a deep breath, he forcibly threw off the wave of panic that was threatening to engulf him and professionally felt for his son's pulse. It was still relatively strong, although it was obvious that Chris's condition was worsening. The phone began to ring then, sounding jarringly loud in the tense silence of the room. Ignoring it, Leo held his hands out over his comatose son and let his healing power flow, only vaguely aware of Phoebe going to answer the call.

Unfortunately, unlike earlier on in the day, Chris showed no improvement under the healing, yellow glow. Instead, Leo felt like he was trying to force his way through a solid, several metres thick, lead-lined wall. The situation was hopeless. He lowered his hands.

"What's wrong with his finger?" Paige asked then, pointing to where her nephew had his palm laid flat against his chest. The tip of his forefinger appeared to have vanished.

"Just Mrs Jenkins accepting the invitation to Wyatt's birthday party next week," Phoebe said as she came back into the room.

The two things connected in Leo's brain with an almost audible click. "Wyatt's birthday," he murmured. "That's it!"

"What's it?" Paige asked.

"Chris – Wyatt's birthday."

"In English please," Paige complained with a grimace. "You're not making any sense."

Piper however was catching on. "We always believed that Chris was conceived on Wyatt's first birthday," she said, echoing Future Leo's words of a few months earlier.

"Although, realistically, it could have happened a week either side," Leo finished for her.

"Wait! Are you saying he's ill because you haven't conceived him yet?" Paige asked incredulously.

Leo nodded. "It's the only thing that makes any sense. I've hardly been home all week; I've been too busy discussing the Alcathan situation with the other Elders."

"You were home Tuesday night," Phoebe pointed out.

"Well yeah, but we didn't…," Leo broke off and cleared his throat, looking more than a little embarrassed.

"Well, if you ask me, time is rapidly running out," Paige said. "Your son's got a real 'Back to the Future' moment going on here."

Leo followed her gaze to Chris's hand and saw that the whole of his finger had disappeared now. He looked over at Piper, who was staring back at him, apparently rooted to the spot. He swallowed, a sudden bout of inexplicable nerves paralysing him.

"Way to pile on the pressure, huh?" Phoebe remarked with gentle sympathy. Leo simply nodded in reply.

Paige stifled a laugh at the married couple's shell-shocked expressions and then generously offered up a solution. "How about I brew up a love potion to help things along a bit?" she suggested.

"We don't need…," Piper began and then stopped when she saw the freaked-out look on her husband's face. Maybe they did.

"I won't make it too potent," Paige promised. "You just need something to help get you both in the mood, that's all. I mean you couldn't be further from it right now, could you? And you want your son's conception to be enjoyable rather than mechanical, don't you?"

Piper nodded. Paige had a point. If she was going to know the exact moment, she would prefer it to be memorable in a good way. She looked at Chris, still a little reluctant to leave his side. "Are you sure that this is…?" she asked her husband.

Leo nodded. "It has to be," he said firmly.

Piper smiled nervously at him. "Okay then…" she said with an embarrassed laugh. "I'll umm…," She looked down at her nondescript sweatpants and t-shirt, "Go and change," she decided.

Fifteen minutes later, after following her example and taking a quick shower, Leo joined her in their bedroom, two bottles of bright pink liquid clutched tightly in his hand.

"Wow!" he said, his eyes widening in appreciation at the midnight blue silk nightdress that she'd donned for the occasion. "Continue like that and we might not even need this," he said, showing her the love potion.

Piper giggled. "I think we might," she contradicted. "Spontaneous this definitely isn't."

"Tell me about it," Leo concurred with a roll of his eyes.

"You know that I love you, don't you?" he told her after a beat.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Piper stood up on her tiptoes and kissed him. "Yeah, I know and I love you too."

"Well then," Leo said, handing her one of the bottles of pink liquid. "Here's to…"

"Several months with my head down the toilet," Piper cut in ruefully.

Leo laughed and then turned serious again. "Our second son," he said.

"Our wonderfully neurotic boy," Piper concurred, clinking her bottle of potion against his before she tipped her head back and downed it in one go.

A warm, fuzzy glow filled her veins an instant later and the rest of the world faded away. Leo was studying her with a soft, speculative gleam in his eyes, and she smiled at him, a wide, cat-got-the-cream smile. Her husband was seriously hot, even if she did say so herself. Better still, he belonged to her and only her, something she fully intended to make the most of while she had the chance…

**OOOOOO**

Piper slowly drifted awake, gradually becoming aware of the rhythmic thump-thump of a heartbeat under her ear and the feel of gentle fingers lightly caressing her hair. She opened her eyes and groggily absorbed her surroundings, taking note of the crisp white cotton sheets, the sofa against one wall, the sunlight streaming in through a gap in the drapes…

She shot upright with a jolt, waking her sleeping husband in an instant. "What's the matter?" he mumbled drowsily.

"We fell asleep!" she said, clambering over him as she hurried to get out of bed. "I can't believe we fell asleep!"

"Err honey… you might want to put on a robe," Leo's amused voice warned, just as she was about to wrench open the door and expose herself to all and sundry.

"Oh!" Piper flushed and quickly reached for the white towelling robe on the back of the door.

"And relax," Leo added as he also climbed out of bed. "Chris is still with us."

Piper's anxiety abated a touch at that. "You can sense him?" she asked fretfully.

Her husband nodded as he pulled on the blue robe she handed him. "Yeah – he's downstairs."

Exiting the room together, they bumped into Paige and Phoebe on the landing, a circumstance that caused Piper's anxiety to return with full force.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded in a shrill tone. "Why aren't you watching over Chris?"

"Well, after his arm came back and the healthy glow returned to his face, we didn't think it was really necessary," Paige replied with a grin.

Piper sagged with relief, but hurried on down the stairs anyway, needing to see her son for herself before she could completely let go of her maternal angst. As she stepped over the threshold into the living room, she was greeted with the sight of Chris emerging, bleary-eyed, out of a messy cocoon of blankets. She was across the room in an instant, drawing him into a tight hug.

"Mom! Needing to breathe here," he protested when it didn't look like she was going to release him any time soon.

Piper pulled back and affectionately stroked his face, and it was then that it registered on Chris.

"Hey – you healed me!" he said in a delighted tone.

From the doorway, Paige laughed. "Well yeah - if you want to call it that," she concurred as she came into the room, Leo and Phoebe close on her heels.

Chris frowned in confusion, not understanding what she meant.

"I think someone's going to have another baby," Phoebe explained in a singsong tone, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

"Huh?"

Chris transferred his gaze from one Aunt to the other, and then his green eyes widened comically as realisation dawned. He looked over at his parents, both of whom were swathed in bulky bathrobes and apparently not much else.

"Eew!" he remarked with an exaggerated shudder. "Put me off my breakfast, why don't ya?"

His Aunts began to giggle, while his mother smiled indulgently at him and his father cuffed him lightly around the head in mock protest.

"You should be thanking your lucky stars that we figured it out in time," Leo told him. "It was touch and go there for a while."

Chris grinned. "Yeah, all right," he said, "But I'd prefer it if we didn't discuss the details if it's all the same to you."

Phoebe wrapped her arms around Piper's middle then, bending her head to talk to her stomach.

"Hey baby Chris!" she said in a cutesy voice. "How you're doing in there? I bet you're all warm and cosy, aren't you huh?"

Non-baby Chris rolled his eyes and leaned in towards his father. "She does know she's not right in the head, doesn't she?" he asked with heavy sarcasm.

Leo laughed and Phoebe glared at her nephew. "I heard that," she informed him haughtily.

"You were supposed to," Chris returned cheekily. Phoebe poked her tongue out at him and he chuckled.

"Well," Paige cut in before the scene could descend into further chaos. "I think this calls for pancakes all round, don't you?"

Universal approval greeted this suggestion and so they all trouped through into the kitchen to enjoy a celebratory breakfast feast.

Meanwhile, the newest member of the family quietly set up residence in his mother's womb, taking the first, few fateful steps of the nine-month journey that ended in that everyday miracle called human life…

_**To be continued…**_


	27. The Prophecy

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hello! I know I said in my review replies this morning that I'd be posting in the next couple of days, but I finished this off a bit quicker than I envisaged :-)

Sorry for the delay in posting. As I explained to the reviewers, we're heading towards the big finale of this story now so it's taking me a lot longer to put together something I'm happy with. Anyway, with no further ado, let's get on with the story…

**

* * *

Chapter 27 **

"Dad? Where are you? Dad?"

Leo looked up as the bedroom door burst open and his youngest son virtually fell over the threshold, excitedly brandishing a piece of paper in his hand.

"There you are," Chris said, panting slightly as if he'd just run a hundred-metre sprint. "It's time. I thought it was never going to happen - that maybe the magic on the ticket wasn't working properly or something. I mean they said a month, but it's been over four now."

"What has?" Leo asked, not having a clue what his son was talking about.

"The trial for the darklighter army," Chris said as if it were obvious. "It's this afternoon - look."

He thrust the ticket towards his father, who took it and studied the spidery writing upon it. Sure enough, whereas before it had been blank, now it contained today's date, an address and a time: 15.30.

"I'm not sure it's necessary for us to go now," Leo began.

"I have to," Chris cut in. "If I don't, I'll blow my cover with Nazcheck. He'll want to know why I didn't show up."

"Hey hang on," Leo said with a worried frown. "I thought we agreed that this would just be a reconnaissance mission. You're not going to go through with the actual trial…"

"But Nazcheck…"

"Is a danger to you the moment he enrols in that army, Chris. Alcathan knows who you are remember? Or at least to which family you belong anyway. I think it's time for you to back off."

"Why?" Chris said, rather sulkily. "It's not like the Elders are actually doing anything is it? Other than procrastinating that is."

"We don't want Alcathan to know that we're on to him, the element of surprise is the main advantage we've got. And the Elders haven't been sitting around on their hands, Chris; they've been debating the issue 24/7…"

"For four and a half months, Dad! How long does it take to come up with an action plan?"

Leo sighed. "You're just as impatient as your Mom. This is the biggest threat the magical world has faced for centuries. Planning a counter-attack takes time."

"How much time? 'Cus Wyatt is rapidly running out of it in case you hadn't noticed."

"I don't think it'll be too much longer. Alagon says they're very close to reaching a conclusion on the way forward."

"Alagon? That's the guy who taught Wyatt how to fence, right?"

"He's been earmarked for training your brother how to use Excalibur, yes," Leo concurred with a nod. "He's also been keeping me informed about what's going on as far as he can. We've been friends since I first became a whitelighter, so he has no qualms about bending a few rules to keep me in the loop."

"I still don't get why you couldn't be involved," Chris said.

"Apparently, they felt that I couldn't remain objective," Leo replied with a touch of resentment, "Wyatt being my son and all."

"But it's our family that suffers the most through all of this," Chris objected.

"You don't need to tell me that, son," his father replied, "I suppose in some ways they do have a point though. Objectivity does tend to go out the window where love is concerned."

"Where's Mom?" Chris asked then, only just noticing the lack of her presence, which was surprising this early in the morning.

As if on cue, the toilet flushed in the on-suite bathroom and Piper emerged, pale and sickly looking. "I thought morning sickness was supposed to subside after the first trimester," she complained to her husband, not registering that her son was in the room. "I'm sure it did with Wyatt."

"Every pregnancy is different, Piper," Leo told her reasonably. "You didn't show this early with Wyatt either," he added, indicating her protruding stomach, which was noticeably rounded even though she was only four and a half months pregnant.

At his father's words, Chris's eyes were immediately drawn to his mother's rapidly expanding belly. He tried not to think about it too much to be honest. It was more than a little weird to think that it was essentially him growing in there.

Taking Future Leo's advice, Piper had kept the news of her second pregnancy secret from everyone except family - not even Darryl and Sheila knew that she was going to have another baby. There had been no demon attacks specifically aimed at her and her developing offspring however, which Leo reliably informed them had not been the case in the other future.

All this secrecy severely limited Piper's freedom though, especially now that she was beginning to show. She had had to cut down her hours at P3 to avoid being seen too often, and was growing increasingly crotchety as a result of being cooped up in the house all day. Her family were having to walk on eggshells around her half of the time, and Chris, in particular, was plagued by a growing sense of guilt, knowing that he was the one responsible for her enforced confinement.

It was then that Piper became aware of his presence and she smiled warmly at him, her grumpy expression brightening in an instant. "Hey sweetie!"

"Hey!" Chris returned, a little uncomfortably. "Umm, Look Mom - I just wanted to say… well, I'm sorry about, umm… well, you know… everything."

"Oh honey," Piper said, reaching out and squeezing his arm affectionately. "Don't listen to me, okay? I'm just venting. I would spend nine months in bed with my feet up if it meant keeping you safe from harm."

"And drive us all to drink in the process of course," Leo cut in dryly, attempting to lighten the mood.

It worked because Chris laughed, the painful band around his heart loosening somewhat at his Mom's reassuring words. He grinned as Piper reached out and playfully smacked her husband up side the head.

"I still think we should check it out," he said to his father when their laughter died down.

"Check out what?" Piper asked, looking between the two men with interest.

"We'll discuss it later," Leo firmly told his son.

Piper frowned. "I don't need protecting you know," she said irritably. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid."

"Err, guys?" Paige poked her head round the door. "I think that maybe you should come downstairs. Like, umm… now would be good."

"Why?" Piper asked, sensing there was something her sister wasn't saying.

"We have some visitors," Paige told her in a significant tone.

Chris and Leo exchanged a quick look and then followed the two women out of the room and down the stairs into the lounge. There they discovered Phoebe sitting on the sofa with a squirming Wyatt in her lap. Their trio of visitors stood opposite her, each wearing the telltale velvet robes of an Elder, and all waiting patiently for the rest of their audience to arrive.

"Leo, my friend," the Eldest of the three greeted his colleague in a calm, serene tone.

"Zola," Leo acknowledged him with an incline of his head. "You've made a decision?" he asked, as he took his baby son from Phoebe and perched the little boy on his hip.

"We have," the Elder concurred.

Leo flickered a glance at Alagon and was rather disturbed to see the grave look on his friend's face. "I'm not going to like this, am I?"

"It is perhaps not ideal, but we feel it is necessary under the circumstances," Zola replied.

"What's necessary?" Paige interrupted impatiently. "Stop talking in riddles and cut to the chase, will you? You've kept us waiting long enough."

"Paige…" Leo said warningly.

"Well they have!"

A brief smile crossed Zola's features. "Ever the impatient," he commented to his female colleague.

"It is the nature of humans, Zola," Sandra, the third Elder explained.

"So I've observed," Zola replied solemnly.

"Err hello? Impatient humans still waiting!" Paige said, waving her right hand in front of the Elder's face to commandeer his attention.

Leo groaned inwardly, quite certain that his sister-in-law had no idea to whom she was speaking in such a peremptory manner. Then again, the fact that Zola was a member of the Elder's Higher Council probably wouldn't carry much weight with her even if she did know. Zola however, accepted Paige's impertinence with equanimity, nodding at her before turning the conversation back to the important subject at hand.

"Since the time that the Source forced Alcathan into hiding, there have been rumours abound about a prophecy concerning him," he began. "However, with him seemingly out of action or possibly even dead, our predecessors didn't do much more than record its potential existence. With his re-emergence, it seemed imperative to us to locate and decipher it."

His eyes widening, Leo shot a questioning look at Alagon; his friend hadn't mentioned anything like this. "That's why it's taken so long," he stated the obvious.

"Yes," Alagon confirmed with a nod.

"So what does this prophecy say?"

"Basically that Wyatt is the only one with enough power to vanquish him," Alagon replied. "We think that's why Alcathan targeted him in the first place. By bringing him over to the dark side, he thought to gain himself an ally rather than an enemy. It may not have worked out exactly like that, but we believe that was his original intention. Unfortunately for Alcathan, he'd failed to take your son's independent streak into account."

"But Wyatt can't kill him, he's only a baby!" Piper protested, reaching out protectively for her son. Leo handed him over, quickly sensing his wife's need to have their first-born in her arms.

"We know that, Piper, but he won't be a child forever…" Alagon told her.

"Which is why he must receive the highest protection until he comes of age and can fulfil his destiny," Zola went on gravely.

A slither of fear ran through Piper at the look of sorrowful sympathy Zola gave her as he said this. "I don't understand. W-what do you mean?" she asked.

"We can protect Wyatt from Alcathan's influence, but not down here. Only with us in the Higher Realms will he be completely safe from harm…"

Shaking her head in denial, Piper instinctively clutched her baby close to her, prompting Wyatt to gripe in protest.

"He will have his father and his brother by his side, and you will be permitted to visit…"

"Stop!"

Piper had finally found her voice and was staring at her husband's boss in open-mouthed incredulity. "Are you suggesting that I hand my son over to you? To live 'up there'?" she demanded. "And what the hell do you mean 'I'll be permitted to visit' – I'm his mother! I don't need your permission to do anything where my son is concerned."

"You misunderstand us, Piper. I simply meant that you do not have any whitelighter blood in your veins and therefore cannot exist permanently in our realms without it affecting your health. Your sons however, are a different matter."

"My… my sons? You're including Chris in this as well?"

"This time's version, yes. If Alcathan is thwarted in his ambition to turn Wyatt, we expect him to go after your other son instead – to use as leverage when the time comes for him and Wyatt to confront each other. Christopher must therefore be protected as well."

"You're out of your minds if you think I'm going to agree to this," Piper said hotly. "I'm not giving up my boys!"

"You want them to be safe, don't you?" Sandra cut in. "Protected from all harm?"

"Of course I do! But I don't want them growing up like caged animals either. They're my children, not pawns in a good versus evil chess game! There's another way – there has to be another way! Leo – tell them there's another way."

Piper turned and appealed to her husband, who avoided looking her directly in the eye. "Piper…"

"NO! How can you…? You cannot ask me to do this!"

Leo sighed and addressed his three colleagues. "Do you think you could leave us for a while please?" he asked diffidently. "This is a family matter."

"Of course," Zola replied with an incline of his head. "This is not a decision that has to be made immediately, Leo. Wyatt can remain down here for a little while longer. From what you've gleaned from your Future self's memories, it is a few months yet before Alcathan makes his move."

Leo nodded but didn't otherwise reply.

"Wait!" Chris said, the first of the rest of the family to recover from their shocked disbelief. "This prophecy – can we see it?"

"I see no harm in that," Zola agreed, nodding at Alagon, who immediately drew a piece of parchment from his robes and handed it over to the young witch-whitelighter. Chris took it, while Zola turned his attention back to Piper.

"We do not wish things to be this way, you know," he told her. "But it seems to be the only course of action under the circumstances."

The three Elders then orbed out, leaving the Halliwells alone to discuss the matter.

"Don't you touch me!" Piper stormed, flinching back when Leo reached out towards her. "I won't agree to this, I won't! And I can't believe you think it's okay for your children to be separated from their mother in this way. You're supposed to be their father, not the Elders beck and call boy!"

"Piper – I don't think it's okay, I just can't see any other option. We have to stop Alcathan from getting to Wyatt and this may be the only way to do that."

Her upset exacerbated by pregnancy hormones, Piper let out a dry, painful sob, and then turned and fled from the room, Wyatt held tightly against her chest. Leo dropped his face into his hands and drew in a deep, shuddering breath.

"You can't seriously be asking her to do this," Phoebe said to her brother-in-law in stunned disbelief.

"You don't understand," he mumbled into his hands.

"Too right we don't!" Paige put in her two cents worth. "How can you even consider this as an option, Leo?"

"Because I've seen the future, Paige!" Leo burst out, glaring defiantly at her. "And I don't want that for my boys."

"But it's okay for them to live without their Mom in their lives," his sister-in-law retorted.

"Of course it isn't, but it's not like she's never going to see them and hopefully this will only be a temporary measure. I won't stop looking for another way to resolve this, not now, not ever, I swear."

Paige turned to Chris. "What do you think?" she demanded. "This directly affects you after all."

Looking rather like a goldfish, Chris opened and closed his mouth a few times before eventually responding. "I think I'll go and find Mom," he said, refusing to give an opinion one way or the other.

He found his mother in his parent's bedroom, curled up on the bed and sobbing uncontrollably into her pillow. She'd obviously put Wyatt in his crib so that the little boy wouldn't have to witness her distress.

"Mom?" he asked, hesitantly touching her shaking shoulder as he sat down on the edge of the mattress next to her.

Piper lifted her tear-stained face. "There's another way," she insisted.

"I hope so," Chris said, shooting her a watery smile. "Because it's dull as dishwater up there."

Piper smiled at his acid-tongued remark, despite her woes. "You think he's right… your father, I mean," she guessed shrewdly.

Chris sighed. "If it means I get my brother back and that you don't die…" he stopped and shrugged, "I guess I'd do it."

"You've already sacrificed so much, Chris."

"He's my brother," her son replied with breathtaking honesty.

Piper nodded solemnly, infected by his simple, black and white view of the situation. "And you're my sons. So if I have to leave you to protect you…"

"You won't be leaving us, not really. I know it won't be the same, but you'll still be a major part of our lives, and it might not be for very long anyway. Dad says he won't stop searching for a better alternative and I know he won't. And neither will you, or Paige, or Phoebe. I have faith that you'll find a way eventually. Right now, what matters most is that Alcathan doesn't get to Wyatt though. Whatever he does makes his soul vulnerable to corruption later on. We can't let that happen, Mom. We just can't."

Piper considered this and then reluctantly nodded. "Leo?" she called out, her voice shaking slightly.

Her husband arrived in a flurry of blue lights an instant later. "Look honey…," he began, but Piper cut him off.

"I'll never forgive you if you give up fighting to get our family back together," she said stridently.

"I never will," Leo vowed. "You can count on that. I don't like this any more than you do, Piper. Please believe me when I say that."

His wife nodded and then finally allowed him to take her into his arms. Burying her face in his shoulder, she clung to him as if her life depended on it and began to sob bitterly again. Chris quietly left the room, knowing his presence would stop his parents from discussing things freely. A short while later, Piper recovered her composure and looked up at her husband, her brown eyes shiny with tears and her lower lip trembling with barely suppressed emotion.

"I know I have to, but how can I do this?" she said, as the salty drops escaped to run down her cheeks. "How can I let my baby go? And Chris! What about him? He won't know me. The first few weeks are the most important for the mother/child bonding process and I'll have to abandon him as soon as he's born!" she finished with a wail.

"Piper, come on." Leo chided gently. "The Elders won't expect you to just hand him over and come back down here. You'll be able to spend that important time by Chris's side, I promise you. And you can visit both boys as often as you want after that. Being in the Higher Realms will only affect your health if you remain up there indefinitely. It's something to do with lack of gravity, I think. Elders and Whitelighters are built to withstand it; humans are not. You just need to get the balance right so that you don't get sick is all. I know it means you can't be with them as much as you are now, but it's not as if you're never going to see them."

"It's not the same though," Piper sniffled, noisily blowing her nose on the tissue that he'd handed to her. "They'll miss out on so much."

"I know," Leo said softly, smoothing his hand over her hair and kissing the top of her head, "Which is why it's our duty to make sure that this situation is only temporary. We will find a way; I know we will. We just have to have faith and it'll happen. For now though, protecting them from Alcathan is more important."

Piper sighed. "Why is it always us?" she complained.

"That's what you get for breaking the rules, I guess," Leo said lightly.

"Except that's a load of crap, isn't it?" Piper said. "If there are all these prophecies about Wyatt, we were always meant to be together, weren't we? Where else was he going to come from? Stork Mail?"

Leo smiled. "I suppose if you have to fight tooth and nail for something, you don't take it for granted," he observed sagely.

"So all these trials and tribulations only make our family stronger, is that it?"

Leo nodded. "I think it does, yes. Not that I wouldn't prefer things to be a little less drama-filled of course," he added ruefully.

"I can't believe we're being so accepting of this," Piper said wearily.

Leo studied her carefully, his blue-green eyes full of quiet regret. "I don't think we are," he said gravely. "I just think that deep down we know that, right now, there's no other way to protect our boys from experiencing the future that Chris has fought so hard to change."

Piper sighed and snuggled closer into him again, but did not speak, too overwhelmed with the mixed emotions she felt over what she was about to do. Handing over her babies to the Elders – was she really capable of doing that? But what if she refused and Alcathan got to Wyatt? Chris's future would happen all over again. How would she ever be able to look him in the face, knowing that she didn't do everything in her power to prevent it?

No – she would have to do this, despite the fact that it was going to rip her heart in two. Wyatt and Chris would be safe, and she and her sisters would carry on looking for another way to wipe Alcathan off the face of the earth. Because whatever the Elders said, she wasn't going to accept the fact that Wyatt was the only one capable of doing that, not when it meant her children may have to grow up never knowing the joys of living amongst their extended family's love...

**OOOOOO**

_**The Attic, two hours later…**_

Chris turned the piece of parchment upside down, as if reading it in this manner could change what it said. All thoughts of the Darklighter Army had been swept away in the wake of the epiphany that had just taken place in his head.

No, he wasn't imagining it; the Elders had definitely read this prophecy wrong. Still, a second opinion couldn't hurt…

"Dad," he called out softly.

A few moments later, Leo materialised next to him, yawning and rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"Is Mom okay?" Chris asked.

Leo sighed and sat down beside his son on the creaky old sofa. "She's been better," he replied. "She's asleep now."

Chris nodded. "Maybe there's another alternative," he said slowly, his eyes focused on the sheet of yellowing paper in his hands.

"I'm open to suggestions," his father said.

In answer, his son handed him the prophecy. "Read it," he instructed.

Leo's gaze dropped to the words on the page and he began to read the text:

"_For lo, when the Bringer of Chaos rises again, he shall be unstoppable, but for a single Beacon of Hope which resides in the midst of the endless dark. For the offspring of the Charmed Bride and her Groom of Light shall have the power to overcome him. To return him forever to the depths of hell from whence he came, and lead the world back into the light and towards the future that was meant to come to pass_."

Leo broke off and found his son gazing expectantly at him. "I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be seeing," he said.

Chris rolled his eyes. "You're as blinkered as everyone else," he said in exasperation. "Nobody can see past Wyatt's power. Tell me where it says he's the only one who can vanquish Alcathan."

Leo frowned, still puzzled. "'The offspring of the Charmed Bride and her Groom of Light' is a bit of clue," he remarked.

"Exactly," Chris said. "_The_ offspring – not the oldest offspring, the eldest son, the Twice-Blessed Child – simply 'the offspring.' It doesn't mean Wyatt; it means Wyatt _and_ me, both of us."

"Chris…"

"Difference is, I'm no baby – I can fight him now. There's no need to wait."

Leo shook his head. "No, you're not strong enough. Your power - while not insignificant, I grant you - cannot hope to equal Alcathan's."

"Wyatt's can though."

"Which brings us back to where we started."

"No, it doesn't," Chris refuted. "What if the prophecy means it literally? What if Wyatt can't defeat him alone either? What if it has to be both of us?"

"How do you mean?"

"Well, my grown-up body and mind, but Wyatt's magic. I could switch powers with him."

Leo's eyes widened at this, but he quickly spotted a flaw in the plan. "Wyatt's powers are still under-developed in this time though, Chris, it might not be enough."

"Except I'm from the other future, so I'll end up with the other Wyatt's powers if we word the spell right."

"But that kind of spell has to be performed willingly…"

"It will be – baby Wyatt will give me permission."

Leo looked at his son, mildly impressed with his convoluted thinking. "You really have thought all this through," he remarked.

"I didn't come all this way to give up now. And as much as I can see the logic in what the Elders are saying, I really don't want my other self to spend his childhood 'up there' in the clouds. If that was the only way then so be it, but I don't think it is."

Leo nodded. "Wyatt's power will be a lot for you to handle, Chris," he said, his tone of voice indicating that still held some reservations about the idea.

"I know, but Mom and the Aunts have switched powers before…"

"…except their powers are pretty much equal in strength," Leo interrupted. "You'll be taking on a power that is way beyond your own. And you'll have to learn how to control it too."

Chris nodded. "I know this is not going to be a walk in the park, Dad. But me and Wyatt talked you know, before he…he left us. He told me what it was like, how he dealt with stuff. I know having the theory isn't the same as putting it into practise, but at least it's a head start. There's only one thing I'm not sure about."

"What?"

"Well, I'll be switching powers with future Wyatt so it'll make him vulnerable to attack. If someone or something gets to him there before things change, does that mean history will repeat itself in this future?"

Leo thought about it for a moment before answering. "I honestly don't know, son."

"It's more than that anyway. Even if he is safe in the new future, I could effectively get him killed in the old one and I don't think I can do that. He's still my brother and whatever's he's become, I still love him. I know it's stupid, but it's not the same as having him cease to exist when the future changes somehow."

Leo reached out and patted his son comfortingly on the back, understanding where he was coming from. He wasn't sure he wanted to condemn Wyatt to that kind of death either, however evil he was. Future Wyatt would never know the difference if the future simply ceased to exist, but if he were attacked, he could feel horrible pain and that was something that didn't sit right with his father - or his brother by all accounts.

"Maybe there's a way around that," he decided after a brief silence.

"How?" Chris lifted his bent head and looked up into his father's face.

Leo sighed, not really wanting to bring up the painful subject. "Maybe it's possible to put some protection in place for Future Wyatt," he said, "But we can't do it without help."

"I don't understand," Chris said with a frown.

"Your other father – he left me instructions on how to summon him back if we ever needed his advice or help with anything."

Chris's expression immediately became shuttered, his green eyes clouding over with powerful emotion.

"I know it'll be difficult for you to see him again," Leo continued gently, "But if you truly want to protect Future Wyatt, then this might be the only way."

Chris drew in a shaky breath, and then squared his shoulders and nodded. "Okay then, let's summon him," he said, his heart heavy but his resolve stubbornly set.

"We should bring your Mom and Aunts up to speed before we do that," Leo went on.

"Mom's gonna throw a fit," Chris predicted.

"Quite possibly," his father concurred. "She finds it difficult to separate you from the baby growing inside of her, so it's instinct to mother and protect you as such. She's not mastered the art of letting one's children spread their wings and become the adults they were destined to be yet. "

"And you have?"

Leo shook his head with a tight smile. "Not really, but I've seen what the future holds and I know your strength. If anyone can do this, it's you. You're cut from the same mould as a certain quartet of female relatives after all. I won't let you walk into this without any back up, but I can't stand in your way. If you struggle to control Wyatt's power then we'll have to rethink, but I'd be a fool to dismiss the idea out of hand just because of a fatherly need to wrap you in cotton wool and protect you from all harm."

"After such a vote of confidence, it wouldn't be very prudent to admit I'm scared out of my wits, would it?" Chris said with a touch of rueful embarrassment.

"I'd be worried if you weren't. Arrogance above fear is a weakness, Chris, not a strength. You need to be aware of the realities of what you're facing if you're going to succeed."

"Oh, I think the realities are more than apparent," Chris said glibly, while his insides churned with growing nerves.

Could he really do this? He didn't know, but he had to try - for his family, himself, for everyone really…

_**To be continued…**_

**

* * *

Re: the Elders.** Alagon, I made up, but I looked at some transcripts and Zola's the Elder Leo inadvertently killed in Season 7, and Sandra is apparently the female Elder that kept showing up around that time. 


	28. Back from the Future

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hey! Sorry for the big delay in updating both my stories. I've had very little free time to write over the past few weeks. My real life job has taken over everything just recently. Anyway, I have this week off (yay!) so I hope to get some serious writing done, as well as some serious relaxing!

Minor spoiler (although it's fairly obvious from the last chapter): Future Leo is back in this part and I'm going to do what I did earlier on in the story. That means that, unless they're both in the same scene, I'll establish which Leo it is at the beginning and then drop the Future and Present/Past tags because I think they sound rather clunky. Hope that's not too confusing for anyone.

Anyway, on with the show, hope you haven't forgotten what's going on…

**

* * *

Chapter 28 **

Piper looked incredulously between her husband and youngest son. They had just filled her and her sisters in on their plan to get Alcathan out of their lives for good, and were now awaiting her verdict with twin expressions of earnest optimism on their faces.

"Are you out of your minds?" she demanded shrilly.

Chris, obviously expecting this reaction from her, jumped in immediately. "Mom, we don't have any other option as far as I can see," he said in a mollifying tone. "Either we wait it out until Wyatt's old enough, or I do this now. Personally I'd rather get it over and done with, especially if it means we can stay together as a family."

Piper looked at her son. She couldn't fault his logic but… "It's too dangerous," she said worriedly.

"No more so than for Wyatt in seventeen years' time," Chris refuted.

"Yes but that's…" she trailed off and looked over at her husband for support.

"Way in the future," he supplied, quickly sensing the root cause of her problem. "Whereas this is right here, right now."

"Exactly," Piper concurred softly, her brown eyes troubled. "I'm just… I'm not ready for this. Not yet."

"And you think you will be in seventeen years' time?" Leo asked her.

Piper looked away from his knowing gaze, her hands instinctively moving to cradle her pregnancy bump. "No, I don't suppose I will," she eventually admitted, "But at least I'll be more prepared then."

"We're going to have to face it sooner or later, Piper," Leo told her gently. "Our boys are going to grow up and lead their own lives no matter what we do. And, unfortunately, that means that there are times when they are going to be in this kind of danger. It's who they were born to be after all, whether we like it or not."

Piper sighed heavily, knowing that, despite her concerns, this was their best chance of safeguarding the future for their family. "You're supposed to be my baby forever," she accused her adult son.

"I am – just a six foot, twenty-one year old, extraordinary good-looking baby," he quipped, coaxing a reluctant smile out of her in spite of her worries.

"You have to promise me that you'll be careful," she said. "No reckless behaviour and definitely no taking any unnecessary risks…"

"Or there'll be no TV for a week," Chris cut in laconically, prompting his Aunts to laugh and Piper to give him 'the look' perfected by all mothers and well known to all children throughout the entire world.

"I'm serious!" she told him sternly.

"Relax Mom, okay? I'm a big boy now; I can take care of myself."

"Except that your definition of taking care of yourself doesn't exactly coincide with mine," Piper retorted.

"Since when? I mean, I shower and change my underwear every day, brush my teeth morning and night, _and_ I wash my hands after I've used the bathroom," Chris said, ticking off the items on his fingers.

"I respect my family and those around me," he went on. "I don't use magic for personal gain unless there are extenuating circumstances. I don't lie without a damn good reason to, and I definitely don't cheat. I don't get drunk, or do drugs, and I've always practised safe sex in case you were wondering…"

"Not really," Paige cut in. "That falls into the category of too much information if you ask me."

Chris flashed her a mischievous grin and then turned his gaze back on his mother. "Do I need to go on?" he asked.

"I wasn't _that_ much of a stickler was I?" Piper said with a tiny frown. "What?" she demanded when both her sisters started to laugh. "What's so funny?"

"Oh, of course not," Phoebe said between giggles. "Mrs Super-Organised and Supremely Neurotic could never be such a hard taskmaster – or mistress, I should say."

"What did she make you do?" Paige asked her nephew. "Recite all those rules every night before you went to bed so you didn't forget them?"

"Hey!" Piper protested and Chris laughed.

"I don't see what's so funny, mister," she reprimanded him sharply.

Chris looked across at her, his green eyes effortlessly beguiling. "Mom, you won't ever catch me complaining about how I was brought up," he told her. "You might have been strict at times, but you were pretty cool with it too. And I turned out okay, didn't I?"

"Well, the jury's still out on that," Piper said teasingly, although her warm, affectionate smile said otherwise.

"Gee thanks," Chris said flatly. "Nice to know my mother has such overwhelming confidence in me."

"Umm… aren't we getting away from the point?" Leo cut in mildly, bringing their attention back to more serious matters.

The carefree expression quickly fading from her features, Piper turned to regard her husband solemnly. "I still don't like it," she said resignedly, "But I know it's what we have to do."

Leo nodded at her and then turned his questioning gaze on his son. "You ready?"

"No," Chris told him honestly, "But, as Mom says, it's what we have to do so let's get on with it. Go ahead and summon him."

Leo extracted a piece of paper from the back pocket of his jeans and unfolded it. "It's a Power-of-Three spell," he informed them.

"Wait!" Paige said in a sharp tone, causing Phoebe to freeze in the act of taking the crumpled sheet of paper out of his outstretched hand.

"You can write a Power-of-Three spell?" the youngest Charmed One asked her brother-in-law.

"If the occasion demands it," he replied with a nonchalant shrug.

"So, all those times we've been agonising over whether we've got the spell right or not, you could have told us?"

"You didn't need my help," Leo pointed out reasonably.

"That's not the point! You just sat back, blasé as you like, and watched us fret!"

"A whitelighter's job is to guide not direct, Paige," Leo explained calmly. "Besides, working it out for yourselves was character building," he added with an impish grin.

"Character building, my ass, you just enjoyed watching us suffer!"

"Well, there was that I suppose," Leo replied lightly, seemingly without care for life or limb. "Seriously though – you each needed to gain confidence in your own abilities and also learn to trust in your bond as sisters. You weren't going to do that if I interfered all the time, were you?"

"I guess not," Paige admitted grudgingly.

"Good – glad you see it my way. Now the summoning spell…"

During this conversation, Chris had drifted away from his family over towards the attic window, his thoughts a tumult of conflicting emotions. It had been nearly six months now since the other version of his father had gone back to the future, leaving him here in the past to adjust to the realities of his new life. During that period, he had learned to accept that his old existence was gone for good, and had gradually bonded with this times' version of his family as a result.

He still viewed the two Leo's as separate people however, and a growing sense of guilt was now bubbling to the surface. Would his first father feel replaced? Or, even worse, betrayed, because he had moved on and allowed this Leo into his life and heart? And, what's more, could he handle seeing him again, knowing that it was only temporary and that they would be forced to say goodbye for a second, painful time?

As his mother and Aunt's voices began to chant the Power-of-Three spell behind him, Chris closed his eyes, knowing that he was about to find out the answers to these questions whether he wanted to or not…

As the spell began to take effect, Leo calmly watched as a spinning vortex opened up in the attic floor, the whirl of glittery dust stirred up in its wake seemingly materialising out of nowhere. A supernatural wind whipped at his hair as the swirling dust cloud rose higher and higher until, all of a sudden, it was gone, leaving him staring into the eyes of an older, more world-weary version of himself.

Future Leo looked grimmer somehow; his blue-green eyes cloaked in shadows and his face pale and gaunt. It was as if the loss of his youngest son – his raison d'être – had sapped all the energy and life out of him. Flecks of grey streaked his hair now and many more lines etched his handsome face, making him look much closer to his actual age.

"What is it?" he demanded sharply, his stance becoming instantly alert the moment he registered his surroundings. "What's wrong?"

Present Leo exchanged glances with his wife and sister-in-laws, and then looked back at his future self, his expression grave. "We've discovered a few things," he said…

_**Fifteen minutes later…**_

"Alcathan."

Future Leo was wide-eyed with shock. "I…," he stopped, unable to put his stunned thoughts into words.

"I know," his present counterpart said, having gone through similar emotions on discovering the truth himself. "It explains a lot though."

Future Leo nodded. "And you're sure this prophecy is genuine?" he asked.

"The other Elders are and I can't think of a legitimate reason to believe otherwise."

"All right, but I still don't understand why you need my help."

"Chris has a theory," Present Leo explained, shooting a wary glance at their son, who was still gazing out of the window, his back resolutely turned.

You didn't need to be empathic to know that Chris was struggling to contain his emotions right now. It was if he was afraid to look at his first father for fear of breaking down. Strangely, Present Leo wasn't unduly affected by this knowledge. Before he had felt pushed out by the strength of Chris's relationship with his other father, but now he was secure enough in his own relationship with his son to know that the boy had room enough in his life for both versions of himself.

Future Leo followed his gaze, half-rose to his feet, and then sat back down again, apparently deciding to deal with the emotional ramifications of this reunion later. "Which is?" he asked calmly.

Present Leo explained Chris's interpretation of the prophecy and his idea on how to fulfil it. "…only we were concerned about how vulnerable Future Wyatt might be to attack if he lost his powers," he finished.

Future Leo nodded, finally understanding why he had been summoned. "Well, it'd be tantamount to signing his death warrant right now," he told them darkly.

"Why? What's going on?" Chris asked, turning away from the window and finally meeting his father's gaze.

"A couple of demon factions have decided to challenge Wyatt's rule," Future Leo explained, "But it's nothing you need concern yourself with. You need to focus on what you're doing here, not worry about a future that won't even exist when all this is over."

"So, do you think you can protect him?" Phoebe asked. "Grown-up Wyatt, I mean."

Future Leo shook his head. "Not for length of time I'd need to, no."

"I don't understand," Phoebe said with a frown.

"Chris can't just swap powers with Wyatt and then immediately confront Alcathan, Phoebe. He'll need to learn to control his brother's magic first and that could take weeks. I can't shield Wyatt from his enemies for that long, a day or so maybe but nothing beyond that."

"So there's nothing we can do then," Piper said dejectedly.

"Not necessarily, we could probably protect him if we remove him from the situation entirely," Future Leo said. "Unfortunately, the only way I can think of to do that is to bring him here."

"No! No, you can't!" Chris said, horrified at the suggestion.

Future Leo sighed. "If you're serious about wanting to protect him, Chris, I can't see any other way."

Chris cast a sorrowful look at his Mom and Aunts, and then searched deep within himself for the strength to do what was necessary. They shouldn't have to witness the ruthless tyrant that Wyatt had become in recent years, he knew.

It was no good though – he was never going to be able to handle being indirectly responsible for his brother's inevitably slow and painful death at the hands of his demonic enemies, whether the other future existed or not. It was different changing things for the better somehow. The evil Wyatt would simply fade from existence in that instance, meeting a peaceful end rather than the horribly violent one, which the current future promised if they didn't do anything to protect him.

"We'll have to find a way to contain him," he eventually said, "Which isn't going to be easy. This is Wyatt we're talking about – he's hardly Mr Meek and Mild."

"Actually, what we have to do is find a way to contain you," Paige reminded her nephew. "He'll have your powers not his own, remember?"

Chris nodded, his expression brightening a little. "Yeah, yeah, you're right. I didn't think of that."

"Unfortunately, that's still going to be easier said than done," Future Leo said gravely.

"Why? I mean…," Paige stopped and threw an apologetic glance at Chris. "No offence, but you're no Harry Potter."

"I've told you before, Paige," Future Leo said, before his son could respond to his Aunt's unwitting insult. "Chris is a lot more powerful than you think. He's been posing as a whitelighter here so you haven't really seen what he is capable of. That and he's always been reticent about using his powers anyway. Wyatt, on the other hand, has no such compunction. He can and will use his powers at every available opportunity, and the more impressive they appear, the better. I don't think there's any doubt that he'll try to exercise Chris's to their maximum potential in his attempts to break free."

"All right, so how about we try out the super-strength crystals me and Phoebe conjured up last week then?" Paige suggested, crossing the room to retrieve a large wooden box from the top of the armoire in the corner. She flipped open the lid and waved her hand.

"Crystals!"

The pyramidal white stones dissolved into a stream of blue orb lights and then reappeared in a circle around Chris, who flinched back as a shimmering cage of white light entrapped him.

"Okay Houdini," Paige said. "Do your thing."

Holding his hands out either side of him, palms facing outwards, Chris pushed hard against the confines of the crystal cage with his telekinesis power. The iridescent bars of white light bowed dramatically in response but remained intact, much to his youngest Aunt's satisfaction.

"There, see," she said, turning triumphantly towards Future Leo.

Future Leo was shaking his head however. "You're not trying hard enough," he told his son. "You have to push aside your natural instinct to rein in your power, and just let it loose. Your brother will have no such qualms about pushing it to its limits, you know he won't."

Chris nodded solemnly, knowing this to be true.

"Try again," Future Leo instructed. "And Paige?"

"Hmm?"

"Just a suggestion, but perhaps it'd be better if you didn't stand directly in the firing line."

Catching hold of his sister-in-law's arm, Future Leo tugged her out of the way and then nodded at his son to proceed. Drawing in a couple of deep breaths, Chris closed his eyes in an attempt to shut out the fact that there were other people in the room, and then unleashed his power unrestrainedly, forcibly overriding his innate need to keep it under strict control as he did so.

The results were spectacular. With a loud, deafening crack, the crystals shattered into tiny pieces as the shimmering bars of the light cage splintered dramatically apart. The remnants of the shattered crystals were then catapulted to all corners of the attic by the resulting shockwave of energy, which rippled through the air in the wake of the cage's catastrophic destruction.

Breathing heavily, Chris opened his eyes and looked about, shocked by what he had done. He was fully aware that he had never gotten close to testing the limits of his power before, but he still hadn't expected this. He turned to look at his father, who was just rising to his feet, having ducked down to shield himself and Paige from the blast.

"Wyatt is stronger, certainly," Future Leo said, guessing his thoughts, "But the gap isn't as wide as you think."

"But I… why? Umm…," Chris stuttered, still decidedly shell-shocked by it all.

Future Leo shrugged. "Because showing restraint isn't such a bad habit to have," he said matter-of-factly. "That's the thing about you, Chris – you're very grounded. You use your powers as and when necessary, and don't feel the need to abuse them. That's the way it should be and your Mom and I certainly weren't going to encourage you to be any different. We focused our energies on trying to teach your brother to be more like you instead."

Chris let out a self-depreciating snort. "And here's me thinking I was the runt of the litter," he remarked dryly.

"Chris…," Future Leo chided with a shake of his head.

"All right so I get why you didn't encourage me before Wyatt turned, but what about after?" Chris enquired. "It might have helped."

"Or got you killed," Future Leo contradicted. "Wyatt only gave you the level of freedom you had because he underestimated how much of a threat you could be. If he had known the truth…"

He left the statement hanging but Chris shuddered, knowing what his brother was capable of.

"Besides, turning you into the modern day Cain and Abel would only have made things worse," Future Leo continued. "This is about saving our family, Chris, not destroying it."

"Okay so if that's what Chris's active power can do, what exactly is Wyatt capable of?" Phoebe said, asking the inevitable question.

"You don't want to know," the two Leo's and Chris said in unison, their tones bleak.

"Oh." Phoebe looked away and swallowed.

"God!" Piper sounded on the verge of tears as she wearily sat down on the sofa and dropped her head into her cupped hands.

Chris cast her a stricken look. "I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I wish I could let go and then maybe…" He broke off and shook his head.

"Let go of what?" Piper asked her son.

Chris shrugged. "The family ties that don't really exist anymore. If I could do that, then we wouldn't have to bring Wyatt here and you wouldn't have to…" He sighed. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" his mother said gently. "For being incapable of causing deliberate harm to your brother? How can I blame you for that? The opposite is something I could never wish for – ever - whatever the circumstances."

Crossing his arms over his middle, Chris nodded, his gaze firmly fixed on his feet. It was still difficult for him to shake off the misplaced sense of guilt that he'd always felt for the way things had turned out in the other future. With the shifting dynamics of his life here in the past though, he had gradually learned to stop feeling so responsible for every little thing that went wrong. With every day that passed, his emotional wounds healed a little more, and yet he still felt the need to protect the people he loved from the realities of the future they were trying to prevent all the same.

"Okay," Paige said, cutting through the sudden veil of pessimism that seemed to have descended over them. "We've established mine and Phoebe's super-strength crystals aren't quite so super-strength after all."

She shot a complaining look at her nephew, who grinned sheepishly back at her. "So we need to think of something else…"

**OOOOOO**

Several hours later, Present Leo descended the attic steps and walked down the first floor landing to Chris's bedroom. Pausing outside, he tapped lightly on the closed door.

"Come in," his son called after a brief pause.

Leo entered the room to find Chris lying flat on his back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. "Have the girls come up with something else?" the young witch-whitelighter asked, quickly sitting up.

Leo shook his head. "Not yet – they're still working on it. I think you've presented them with quite a dilemma," he added with a smile.

Chris returned it without much enthusiasm, and then rested his chin on his knees, wrapping his arms around his bent legs.

"So, how you doing?" Leo asked, broaching the thorny subject that he had come here to discuss.

"Okay, I guess," Chris replied unconvincingly.

"Avoiding him isn't going to make it any easier," Leo said sagely.

Chris looked over at him and then unexpectedly began to laugh, albeit rather feebly.

"What?" Leo asked, confused by his son's reaction.

"Nothing," Chris said with a shake of his head. "It's just I seem to remember someone else telling me pretty much the same thing a few months back – just in a different context."

"Oh," Leo said in understanding. "Well, that worked out okay, didn't it?" he asked, a glimmer of insecurity suddenly entering his tone.

"Yeah, yeah, I guess it did," Chris agreed with a smile.

Leo smiled back, relieved by this vote of confidence in their familial bond. "So talk to him then," he said, reaching out to squeeze his son's shoulder in quiet empathy. "Look - how about I go and tell him you want to see him?"

"No need," Future Leo's voice sounded from the doorway. "I guess we think alike," he added with a shrug.

Present Leo nodded and then stood up. "I'll umm… go and help the girls, leave you two to talk," he said, and then orbed out, leaving his future counterpart and Chris alone.

Pushing the door shut, Future Leo crossed to take his other self's place, sitting down on the mattress next to their son. There was a short, slightly awkward silence before Chris broke the deadlock.

"I'm sorry," he blurted. "It's just…" He trailed off and looked down at his hands.

"You apologise too much, you know that?" Future Leo said lightly. "I know this isn't easy – for either of us – but we're just going to have to deal with it the best way we can."

Chris nodded, his gaze still downcast.

"You have missed me, haven't you?" his father pressed.

"Dad…," Chris protested weakly, finally looking up and meeting Future Leo's gaze.

Leo smiled. "Just checking," he said. "You've resolved your issues with the other me, I see," he added conversationally.

"Yeah," Chris said a little warily. "Things are better… good in fact."

"I'm glad."

"You are?" Chris searched his father's face for the answer, guilt evident in his eyes as he did so.

"Of course I am," Leo said firmly. "I'm perfectly willing to share. Provided I'm still number one that is," he added as a joking afterthought.

It served to break the ice as he'd hoped, for Chris shook his head and began to laugh, the tension visibly draining out of him.

"It's not really the same, you know," he said when he had composed himself. "With him, I mean."

"No," Future Leo said with a wry smile. "No, I don't suppose it is. I was different back then – not quite so jaded, I guess. That's bound to make a difference in the way he – I mean, I - approach things."

Chris nodded. "I think I prefer it that way," he admitted. "That it's different with him, I mean," he quickly clarified, "Not that I prefer him. I just… I need to recognise him as you, but I also need to keep you separate as well. Does that make sense?"

"If it makes sense to you, then that's all that matters. Although, I have to say, it is kind of comforting to hear. I guess the selfish part of me still wants to have my own unique place in your life."

"You do," Chris assured him.

"Good, so there's nothing for anyone to feel guilty about then, is there?"

"By anyone, I take it you mean me," Chris said.

"If the shoe fits, son."

"I sometimes think Guilt should have been my middle name," Chris said disconsolately.

"Hopefully not so much nowadays," Leo remarked meaningfully.

"No," Chris agreed softly. "Not so much."

"Good, I'm glad," his father replied, "Because it was never your burden to bear, you know."

Chris nodded and then changed the subject. "Are you okay?" he asked. "I mean you look…"

"Older?" Leo supplied, his eyebrows raised.

"Well, umm… yeah."

"I'm taking it as a good sign," Future Leo remarked blithely.

"Of what?"

"That the current future is heading towards its rightful conclusion," Leo explained quietly.

The sudden wave of grief hit Chris like a ton of bricks. "Dad. Don't," he said shakily.

Leo sighed. "Look, we both know how this has to end and it doesn't do to dwell on something like that. I think it would be best if we just focus our energies on what we have to do here, and not turn this into something it can never be."

"Okay," Chris said thickly.

"Just don't think it's because I don't care, all right? This has been hard for both of us, but I can see that you've found some peace over the past few months. I don't want to undo all that while I'm here. It's important for you to keep looking forward, to move on with your life."

"Do you think I can do it?" Chris asked then, a waver of uncertainty entering his voice.

"What? Defeat Alcathan?"

Chris nodded.

"It's a strategy that's not without its risks," his father admitted, "But prophecies exist for a reason, Chris. The potential is there within you, you just have to work out how to unlock it."

Chris sighed. "You're not going to be able to stay, are you?" he said resignedly, already knowing the answer but asking anyway. "After you've brought Wyatt here, I mean. You said before that, as an Elder, you can only remain in the past for seventy-two hours without affecting things. That still holds true, doesn't it?"

"Yes, yes, it does. But listen - your Mom, Aunts and the other me are strong people, Chris. They can handle seeing Wyatt, okay? Don't feel the need to shield them from him. That could be a big mistake."

"I don't understand."

"Come on Chris – you know your brother. He's not going to take this lying down. He's going to try and manipulate you into reversing the power-switching spell, goad you into lashing out…"

"Well, he can try all he wants," Chris said pugnaciously, "He'll be wasting his time."

"Except that he knows you, knows your weaknesses and how to break through your defences. You need to be focusing your energies on mastering Wyatt's powers. Don't give him the opportunity to distract you, all right? Avoid him as much as humanely possible. Just let the girls and the other me handle him."

"But they don't know what's he's like!" Chris protested.

"My other self does," Leo said calmly, "And he has enough of my memory to recognise your brother's tricks. I think seeing Piper again will throw Wyatt for a loop anyway. She's the root cause of his pain after all. With any luck, the shock of her presence will temper his evilness a little bit."

"And what happens when I'm ready?" Chris asked, a previously unthought of obstacle suddenly occurring to him. "Wyatt can't stay here in the past, can he? If he does, he'll end up like me. Split in two until he goes back to the new future and merges with his other self."

"Very good," Leo said approvingly. "I was wondering when someone was going to realise that."

"So, whatever we do, we can't protect him, can we? We'll have to send him back before the future changes or he could end up half-good, half-evil."

"If you manage to prevent our future from happening, that might not be the case," Leo replied, "Our Wyatt may very well turn back. However, I think I should return him to the future before you confront Alcathan, just to be on the safe side. It's not worth taking the risk. I can shield him from his enemies for a couple of days, as long as he doesn't fight me. Hopefully that will give you enough time to do what must be done."

"So it ends when I kill Alcathan?" Chris asked.

Leo pursed his lips thoughtfully. "No, I think it probably ends when you return Wyatt's powers to him afterwards."

"Or I could just keep them," Chris said jokingly.

"That's no laughing matter, Chris," Future Leo warned, deadly serious now. "That could be a very real temptation for you, one that you'll have to fight tooth and nail to resist. Your brother's powers have the potential corrupt you if you hold onto them for too long."

"You mean like Excalibur did to Mom?"

"Exactly. Excalibur will corrupt those who are not destined to wield it because they can't handle its power. Your brother's magic is very much the same. The new future cannot begin until everything is in its rightful place, and those powers are not yours to have, they're Wyatt's. Your destiny is simply to…"

"Bow down before him whether he's good or evil?" Chris suggested ironically.

"No - to stand alongside him. Be his conscience if you will."

"So what? We'd be like Brothers-in-Arms?"

Leo smiled. "Well, that's one way of putting it, I guess. Me? I'd prefer to think of it as a similar bond to that which your Mom and Aunts share."

"The Power of Two?" Chris suggested.

"The Power of Two," Leo confirmed with a nod.

"I suppose that'd be kind of cool," Chris said slowly, turning over the possibility in his head.

"Well, keep that in mind, because that's what you're fighting for, Chris. Saving the world is all well and good, but when it comes to the Charmed line, the power of that family bond is the greatest weapon you possess…"

_**To be continued…**_


	29. Switching Powers

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hiya everyone! New chapter for you. Hope you enjoy!

If you remember last time, our intrepid heroes and heroines were planning for Chris to switch powers with Future Wyatt so that he could take on Alcathan as the prophecy predicted. Evil Wyatt was then going to be brought to the past to protect him from his enemies in the future…

**

* * *

Chapter 29 **

Two weeks later, Chris was to be found sitting on lush, green grass down by the waterfront, his back resting against the trunk of a tree and his legs stretched out in front of him. He was gazing out over the shimmering water, his eyes lost in reflective thought.

Usually the Bridge was his sitting and thinking place, a habit that he had acquired from his father. Lately though, going up there seemed such a … well, magical thing to do and, for some reason, he felt the need to stay in touch with his human side at present. So now, whenever he needed some space from the saving-the-world activities at home, he came down here to chill out instead.

It was such an ordinary place. The hustle and bustle of everyday human life continued on oblivious around him, all those people completely unaware that, in a few weeks time, an event would occur, an event that would change the course of history and expose them to a world that they never knew existed.

Unless he, Christopher Halliwell, stopped it from happening that was.

And therein lay the problem, the stark truth that kept him awake night after night. It wasn't just about stopping his brother from turning evil anymore, the entire future of humanity rested in his hands. It was a heavy burden and one that Chris wasn't sure he was up to carrying. This was supposed to be Wyatt's responsibility. He was the Ultimate Power after all; Chris was only meant to be part of the tag team. Yet, somehow, it was he who had been thrust into the limelight as the world's reluctant champion in his brother's place.

Sure, he had volunteered for the job, but that wasn't the point. Was he really capable of eliminating Alcathan or would he die in the attempt? This wasn't some ordinary foe he was facing. It was the Upper Level Demon so feared by the Elders, and the one who had managed to corrupt a soul as strong and pure as Wyatt's. What hope had Chris against such an adversary if his older, more powerful sibling hadn't been able to resist?

Chris shook his head, trying to clear his mind of the negative thoughts plaguing him. He was scared, that was the plain truth of it, and his nerves were growing ever more debilitating with each day that passed. What was taking his Dad so long in the future, he wondered. He wished they could just get on with it already, at least then he would have something constructive to focus his energies on. All this waiting around was driving him crazy.

The girls had cracked the crystal cage dilemma a week ago. 'The Power of Three with a little extra Charmed kick' was how his Aunt Paige had described their solution - the extra kick being his own power coupled with that of Melinda Warren's amulet. It had worked though. Despite what Chris had thrown at it, the crystal cage had held fast, Wyatt would not be able to break out of it with only his younger brother's powers at his disposal.

After they'd successfully completed this necessary task, they'd sent a magical message through time to let Future Leo know that they were ready to roll. Unfortunately, they were yet to receive a similar communication in return. Chris knew his father had warned them that it could take some time to separate Wyatt from his demon bodyguards, but he was surprised at the length of the delay even so.

Wyatt never usually passed up the chance to taunt their father with what he'd become, you see. It was his favourite pastime, second only to trying to persuade his little brother to join his evil campaign. Things must be really bad for him not to take the bait when the opportunity presented itself therefore. Chris had no doubt that his sibling would succumb in the end however, because Wyatt still wanted to maintain some sort of personal connection with his family, regardless of how useless and unimaginative he proclaimed them to be.

Chris was absolutely certain that this was the reason that Wyatt had only imprisoned their Aunts instead of killing them, and also why he and his father had escaped his brother's dominion relatively unscathed. Wyatt still loved them in some shape or form, despite all of his protestations to the contrary. He'd just lost sight of what that love meant and turned into something else that he needed to control and regiment.

'_Chris – Dinner'll be ready in an hour,' _his mother's voice sounded in his head then and he smiled.

She'd only just realised that she could communicate with him in this way, rather than simply call his name when she needed him, and it brought back fond memories of his childhood every time she did it. His ears had been filled with similar such instructions throughout the majority of his early life and they echoed back at him whenever she spoke in his mind these days:

'_Chris, Wyatt – will you two be quiet and go to sleep!'_

'_Chris – curfew in ten minutes!' _

'_Chris – if you're out demon hunting by yourself, you'll be grounded for a week. No actually, make that a month.' _

'_Chris – tell your brother to get his butt back here pronto! And tell him that if he ever puts me on mute again, he can kiss goodbye to any notion of freedom for the rest of his life!'_

The lines between Present and Future Piper were slowly blurring for him. This younger version of his mother treated him in the same strict but affectionate way that his first Mom had. Sometimes it was almost as if she was back with him, not cold and lifeless in her grave and forever out of reach. The only real difference was that Present Piper didn't know him quite so well, having never shared any of his boyhood triumphs and traumas. Still, it was close enough and that cold, empty place inside his heart was gradually filling up with warmth again as a result.

Rising to his feet, Chris crossed the springy grass to rejoin the path that led back out onto the busy city streets. It was a warm and sunny day so he figured he'd walk back to the Manor rather than orbing. He should make it home in time for dinner if he didn't dawdle too much.

In recent weeks, he'd discovered a peculiar kind of comfort in these everyday human pastimes. They had been missing from his life for such a long time that he wanted to revel in their return. You never truly appreciated such things until they were denied you, and Chris had learnt that fact the hard way. He would never again fail to appreciate the simple pleasures in life that was for sure.

He ambled along in a world of his own for around twenty minutes before a distant scream attracted his attention. Looking up sharply, he was initially surprised by the lack of reaction from the other passers-by - until he realised that maybe it was a call that only he could hear, a call of a witch in distress. A faint plea for '_Help_' echoed inside his head again and he quickened his pace, ducking into a deserted side street so that he could orb to wherever he was needed.

This turned out to be a garbage-strewn alleyway one block over, where he discovered a slender witch in her early twenties struggling to free herself from the clutches of a particularly brawny demon, who stood about seven feet tall and had the broad shoulders of an ox as well as limbs as thick as tree-trunks.

"Hey!" Chris shouted in attempt to draw the demon's attention away from his victim and towards him instead.

Luckily, the ruse worked. The demon was momentarily distracted and the wily young woman quickly extracted herself from his grasp and sprinted out of harm's way. With a roar of complaint, the huge demon advanced on Chris who threw him into the side of a large dumpster with his telekinesis power, exercising a great deal of physical and mental effort to do so.

Then, while his opponent was struggling to rise to his feet, he desperately cast about for something to use as a weapon. Why oh why didn't any of his powers have a vanquishing effect? And more to the point, why the hell hadn't he brought any potions with him that would? Just as he was thinking that perhaps the best option was to just grab the girl and orb out, a sharp cry of 'Look out!' made him spin around.

Another demon had shimmered in behind him, armed with a silver athame that glinted ominously as it caught the late afternoon sunlight. Before he'd even had time to react, the demon made a diagonal slashing motion with his knife and Chris felt a sting of pain as the sharp metal cut into his flesh.

Raising his hand to ward off any further attack, he was astonished when the demon simply shimmered away and didn't attempt to injure him further. He immediately whirled around to confront the first assailant again, only to find that this demon had also disappeared. What the hell was going on here?

"Are you okay?" The girl hurried to his side, her pretty face a picture of dismay. "Oh my god, you're bleeding!"

Chris pulled up his t-shirt up to get a better look at the wound. The long, thin cut across his lower abdomen was oozing scarlet blood, but luckily didn't appear to be much more than a nasty scratch.

"No worries, it's just a little nick," he assured her. "I'm Chris by the way," he introduced himself.

"Stacey," the young witch responded with an incline of her head. "And thanks for rescuing me. Lucky there was a handy whitelighter around, huh?"

"I guess - although I'm not sure I exactly rescued you to be honest," Chris replied modestly. "That was like weird – those demons just shimmering away like that. Do you have any idea what they were after?"

Stacey shook her head. "No. Perhaps I was just picked out at random."

"You're a witch though," Chris pointed out. "So it can't have been that random."

Stacey shrugged. "A case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time then," she suggested.

"Maybe," Chris agreed somewhat dubiously. "I still think we should check it out to be on the safe side."

"We?" Stacey questioned.

"Me and my family," Chris replied, holding his hand out towards her. "Come on, I'll orb us back home."

Not sure why she trusted this mysterious stranger but knowing that she did, Stacey slipped her fingers into his and allowed him to transport her 'home', wherever that was. They materialised in homely-looking lounge furnished with a large creamy-beige coloured sofa and several matching armchairs. Looking around the rest of the room, her eyes widened as her gaze fell on a framed photo standing on the mantle. It was picture of three women with a baby boy in a stroller and it suddenly hit her where she was.

"Umm… y-your family?" she asked tremulously. "They're err… the Halliwells? The Charmed Ones?"

"Yeah – err… long story," Chris replied an offhand manner. "Don't worry, we don't bite," he added off her wild-eyed look.

"Hey guys?" he raised his voice to call out to his relatives. "I could use some help in here."

"What is it sweetie?" Piper bustled in from the kitchen, a worried expression on her face. Paige was close on her heels and it wasn't long before Phoebe's footsteps sounded on the stairs.

"Umm – this is Stacey. She was attacked by a demon just now and I…"

"You're bleeding!" Piper interrupted, her eyes spying the jagged, bloodstained rip in his t-shirt.

"It's nothing, Mom," Chris said, dismissing her concern with an absent wave of his hand. "It's only a scratch, hardly worth Dad healing really."

"Mom? Dad?" Stacey looked incredulously between the apparent mother and son and then shook her head. "I think I need to sit down," she said.

Chris grinned. "I'm umm… from the future," he explained. "About twenty years. As I said – a long story."

Stacey pursed her lips. "Okaay… So not gonna ask any more questions…"

Chris laughed.

"LEO!"

"Mom! I said there was no need."

There was a whirl of blue lights. "What is it?"

"Your son is hurt," Piper informed her husband.

"I'm fine, Dad. Honestly," Chris protested. "Look… it's nothing." He raised his t-shirt to show them.

"It doesn't look too serious," Leo agreed as he bent to examine the wound. "I might as well heal it now that I'm here though."

He reached out and placed his hand over the cut and Chris felt the familiar warmth of his father's healing power against his skin. Seconds later though, a sharp, stabbing pain burned in his abdomen and he gasped, doubling over slightly.

"What's the matter?" Leo asked as he took his glowing hand away.

Chris looked down at the cut, which was now completely healed, and frowned. "It hurt that's all," he said. "Is that normal?"

"No, but it's not completely unheard of either," Leo replied calmly. "Does it feel okay now?"

Chris pressed his stomach with his fingertips, testing this out. "Yeah – it feels fine."

"Then I shouldn't think there's anything to worry about then," Leo said, patting his son's shoulder reassuringly.

Chris nodded and turned his attention back to their innocent. "Stacey doesn't think she was a specific target," he explained to his Mom and Aunts, "But I figured we should check the demons out in the Book anyway."

"And the fact that she's good-looking doesn't have anything to do with it at all, I suppose?" Phoebe murmured in his ear as they all trouped up the stairs to the attic to consult the Book of Shadows.

"What?"

Chris was actually shocked at the suggestion. He was so focused on what he was doing here, that the thought of being with anyone but Bianca hadn't even occurred to him. He'd not even had time to mourn her properly yet and, if he saved the future, then they'd be back together again anyhow.

"I'm engaged," he told his Aunt, "And besides, I didn't come here to socialise."

"All right," Phoebe conceded, "But there's nothing wrong with making a few friends of your own age while you're here, is there? You deserve a little down time and she seems nice."

Chris couldn't argue with that. Stacey did seem nice, but that was hardly the point. He had work to do. He couldn't let himself get distracted by something as commonplace as making friends when the future of the world was at stake. Besides, he was soon to have company of his own age in the form of his older brother – a reunion that he was both dreading and strangely anticipating at the same time.

It was stupid; considering the last time they met, Wyatt had tried to kill him. However, being around baby Wyatt these last few months had reminded him that he'd been a good brother once. Okay so, on occasion, he was a bit of a handful for his parents, but it wasn't until after Piper's death that Wyatt had really gone off the rails. Before that, he'd been a relatively normal boy – or at least as normal as anyone who was Twice-Blessed ever could be.

It was this Wyatt that Chris was fighting tooth and nail to save however, because he certainly didn't feel any loyalty towards the tyrant who had murdered his fiancée and tricked him into believing his father indifferent to him. What made the situation complicated was that a small part of the old Wyatt still existed inside the evil version, a consequence of him not completely severing the link with his family, Chris now realised.

Their brotherly bond held Wyatt back from becoming the worst he could be. Only trouble was the halfway house wasn't much better, which is why all this was necessary in the first place. Chris knew that this forthcoming reunion would be the final goodbye however, and that prospect filled him with bittersweet emotion.

How different would a good Wyatt be? Would the brother he'd known growing up be gone forever or would part of him remain inside the new future's Wyatt? There was no way of knowing for sure. He would simply have to wait and see.

"Chris?"

Startled out of his musings, Chris jumped at sound of his youngest Aunt's voice. "Huh?"

"Are these the demons?" Paige said, showing him the hand-drawn picture in the Book.

Her nephew nodded. "Yeah – that looks like them."

"Well, I don't think you have anything to worry about then," Paige told their new acquaintance. "It says here that Witch-baiting is a sport to them. You were probably just selected at random to take part in a game."

"And that makes me feel so much better," Stacey said with a roll of her eyes.

Paige smiled at the girl's sarcastic wit. "What I meant was, they're unlikely to come after you again," she clarified. "But I'll give you our number in case you do run into any more trouble."

"And you could always call for Chris if all else fails," Phoebe put in, earning herself a 'stop interfering' glare from her nephew which she conveniently ignored.

"Anyway, now that you're here, how about you stay and have dinner with us?" she asked brightly. "I'm sure Piper has made more than enough food to go around."

"Umm, thanks for the offer," Stacey replied, slightly bemused by Phoebe's overfriendliness. "But I'm supposed to be meeting some friends and I'm already late. They'll be wondering where I've gotten to."

"Another time maybe then?" Phoebe pressed.

"Sure, yeah, okay," the young witch agreed somewhat hesitantly.

"Great! We'll call you," Phoebe went on as Paige handed their pretty visitor a piece of paper with their cell phone numbers written on it.

Stacey returned the gesture at the middle Charmed One's insistence, who then unceremoniously shoved her nephew forward before he could object. "Chris'll show you out," she said, herding the two young people out of the door.

"Is she always like that?" Stacey asked as she and Chris descended the stairs. "Phoebe I mean?"

"What? Criminally insane?" Chris said acidly, "Pretty much - yeah."

Stacey laughed. "She _is_ kind of pushy," she remarked.

"Oh, you'd noticed? How surprising."

"So - are you really that lovelorn?" Stacey asked slyly.

"I'm sorry?" Chris said, a little flustered at the enquiry.

Stacey grinned. "Well, that is what all this is about, right? The dinner invitation and everything?"

"Umm, yeah I guess. Sorry about that. She doesn't know when to keep her nose out."

Stacey nodded. "Right - and the answer to my other question?"

Chris looked at her, his eyebrows raised. "Now who's being pushy?"

His female companion shrugged. "Just curious," she said lightly.

"I'm…," Chris broke off and sighed.

"Bad break-up?"

"In a manner of speaking," Chris replied. "It's complicated."

"Well complicated relationships I don't do," Stacey said. "I've been burned a few too many times thank you very much. Friendship I can handle though – that is unless you'd rather not give your Aunt the satisfaction?"

Despite his discomfort, Chris laughed, he couldn't help it. "No, I'd like that. Just so long as you understand that there can't be anything more to it than that."

Stacey nodded. "Yeah, I kind of figured that," she said. "I'll try to bear the disappointment as best I can."

Chris grinned, her open and friendly manner dispelling his shyness. "I think I'm insulted," he said of her teasing comment.

"Hey! You're the one who failed to take advantage of my damsel-in-distress situation," she returned, quick as a flash.

"You're nuts," he told her with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah so my friends often tell me. Speaking of which – why don't you join us tonight? It's just a casual night out, nothing special. Basically just dinner and a movie – there's a whole group of us going."

"Not all female," she added when he hesitated. "So you needn't worry about that."

"I wasn't!" Chris protested rather unconvincingly.

"Of course not," Stacey replied with a knowing smile.

Chris shook his head; she reminded him so much of one of his closest friends, it was uncanny. Come to think of it… "What did you say your surname was?" he asked.

"I didn't, but it's Macklin."

His eyes widened. "You don't have a daughter by any chance, do you?" he asked.

"No, not that I know of. Why?"

"It's nothing. You just remind me of someone I know that's all. A friend of mine from the future – Sarah."

"Her name is Sarah Macklin?"

"Yes."

Stacey stared at him in astonishment. "But that's my niece. My brother's daughter. She's only six weeks old though. Isn't she a bit young to be your friend?"

Chris smiled at her confusion. She obviously hadn't made the connection. "You did notice Piper was pregnant, right?"

"Well yes but… whoa, is the 'bump' you?"

"Got it in one," Chris replied. "Only don't tell anyone, okay? It's supposed to be a secret."

"Your secret's safe with me," Stacey said and then looked curiously at him. "Are you and Sarah like… good friends in the future?" she asked.

Chris smiled at the suggestive inflection in her voice. "Yeah, but not in that way you're implying. It's purely platonic, I assure you."

"Okay so…"

"Uh-huh…," Chris interrupted with a shake of his head.

"Uh-huh what?"

"No more future details. It's bad karma."

"Okay. Gotcha," Stacey agreed. "Just one thing…"

"What?"

"What about… well me?"

"We've never met," Chris said, "Although I do remember Sarah mentioning her Aunt Stacey now that I think about it. I think you lived in Philadelphia or something."

"Cool!" Stacey replied. "So, are you joining us tonight then or what?"

Chris had originally been intending to refuse, but the discovery of Stacey's connection to his long-time friend changed his mind. As much as he hated to admit it, Phoebe was right. Taking some time out to socialise with people his own age would do him the world of good. It would take his mind off the impending battle with Alcathan for a bit, and, if Stacey was as similar in personality to Sarah as she appeared to be, he didn't think he would have too much trouble fitting in with her and her friends.

"All right," he agreed. "Just give me a minute to go change and let Mom know where I'm going."

"You're not going to tell Phoebe?" Stacey asked in an arch tone.

"Please!" Chris replied with an exaggerated shudder. "She'd be insufferable."

Stacey's face split into a broad smile. "Yes, I can well imagine," she said laughingly.

**OOOOOO**

Chris's sleep was filled with a confused welter of dreams that night and he woke the next morning decidedly fuzzyheaded. He was also extremely hot, his body dripping with sweat and the cotton sheets sticking to his clammy skin like limpets to a rock.

Pushing the bedclothes aside, he stumbled down the hallway to the bathroom and splashed his face with cold water in an attempt to cool off. This revived him a little so he decided a shower might also help. As he stood under the cascade of water, trying to shake off the weird sensation of not quite being present in his body, he cast his mind back over the previous evening's events.

He'd had fun with Stacey and her friends. It was almost like being home again. His family were great, but he hadn't realised how much he missed hanging out with his peers until now. He knew that, in this time, his Mom and Aunts weren't much older than he was, but he'd never been able to view them in that way so it didn't count.

Mind you, that was probably why he'd been unable to exercise any authority over them as their whitelighter. Although, according to his Dad, there wasn't anything particularly unusual about that where the Charmed Ones were concerned. They'd always done their own thing. In the end, that's what made them the unique women they were.

Stacey had made him promise to keep in touch, but he wasn't really sure how feasible that was going to be. Things were about to come to a head on the Alcathan front and he didn't want to drag her into any of that. He decided it was probably best to keep his distance, only he got the impression that she wasn't going to let him escape that easily.

They had clicked – in the same way that he and Sarah always had – although Phoebe was going to be disappointed because romance was definitely off the menu. For one, his heart still belonged to Bianca and secondly, they simply weren't suited in that way. Besides, it would be like dating Sarah and that was just plain wrong. They'd never been a hint of anything more than friendship between them and he liked it that way, they both did.

They'd met at Magic School in first grade and had been friends ever since, the fact that they were the opposite sex was utterly irrelevant as far as Chris was concerned. Yes, they had drifted apart at various points over the years, but she'd been the only one of his friends brave enough to visit him after his Mom's death. He still didn't remember much about that time, but he did now remember Sarah sitting cross-legged on his bed, chattering away as if everything was normal and he wasn't just staring blankly at the opposite wall.

She'd never mentioned this to him, ever – obviously, like his family, heeding the doctor's advice and carrying on as if nothing had happened. He should thank her when he got back… only he wasn't going back, was he? Not to the same future, not to his old life. Now that he'd met Stacey, he knew his friendship with Sarah was probably inevitable, but she was just one more thing that he had to let go of. He just hoped that the new future made up for all that he'd had to sacrifice in the old one.

"Hey! Nephew of mine? What's taking so long?"

Chris jumped as Paige knocked irritably on the door. "I'm nearly done," he called out to her. "Just give me a few more minutes."

"If you've used all the hot water, I'll make you boil some more," she grumbled at him before he heard her footsteps retreat back down the corridor.

Quickly finishing his morning ablutions, he got dressed and made his way downstairs to the kitchen for breakfast. His Mom, as ever, was going about her daily chores in a typically industrious manner, while Paige sat at the end of the table, still dressed in her pyjamas and her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee.

Phoebe meanwhile, was working her way through a large bowl of mixed fruit and reading a rival's column, one that she evidently disapproved of, given the disgusted expression on her face and the loud tutting sounds that issued forth from her lips at regular intervals. It was probably that guy she kept turning into farmyard animals – Chris couldn't recall his name.

"'Iss!"

Little Wyatt broke off from banging his spoon on the tray of his highchair to greet his brother in his high-pitched voice and Chris smiled.

"Morning little-big bro," he said as he sat down in an empty chair and helped himself to a blueberry muffin.

"Coffee?" His Mom appeared at his elbow, holding a half-full pot of the aromatic liquid.

Chris shook his head. "No thanks, Mom, I think I'll just have some orange juice. It's hot today, isn't it?"

Still half asleep, Paige blinked owlishly at him over the rim of her mug of coffee. "It's raining," she told him flatly.

"Oh!" Chris frowned. "I was sweltering last night."

Piper eyed her son with concern. His vivid green eyes were just that little bit too bright and two spots of pink stood out on his cheekbones. She reached out and placed the back of her hand against his forehead.

"Honey, you're burning up!"

"I am?" Chris looked at her in surprise. "I feel okay. Just a bit fuzzyheaded – I slept really badly last night." He shrugged. "It's probably just a virus or something."

"All right, but get your Dad to heal you when he gets here. You can't afford to be sick right now."

"Sure Mom," her son agreed amiably, clearly thinking she was fussing but obviously seeing no point in arguing with her. "Where is he any…?"

Chris broke off as a small spiral of golden stars materialised out of thin air just above the centre of the table. When the twinkles of light faded, a folded piece of paper fluttered down in their wake and Chris plucked the note out of the air before it hit the tabletop. His Mom and Aunts gathered behind him as he quickly unfolded it and read the four words written upon it:

'One Hour. Be Ready.'

Chris's stomach lurched horribly. This was it. There was no going back now. His Mom and Aunts seemed to be thinking much the same thing because there was a noticeable pause before they all suddenly sprang into action.

"LEO!" Piper yelled for her husband.

"I'll get dressed and meet you in the attic." Paige said, orbing out in a musical flurry of blue lights.

"I'll sort out the crystals for the cage," Phoebe called out over her shoulder as she dashed out the kitchen and up the stairs.

Chris sat staring at the note in his hands, his insides churning and his heart beating considerably faster than normal.

"Are you okay, honey?" Piper said, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "LEO!" she yelled again.

Chris nodded dumbly, an action that caused a wave of dizziness to crash over him. Piper gasped as her son suddenly turned a worrying shade of green and swayed in his seat.

"LEO!" she called out for a third time and, finally, the Elder orbed in.

"Where have you been?" she demanded snappily.

"I told you," Leo said, "Arranging for you and Wyatt to stay at Magic School for a while. What's the matter?"

"Firstly, Chris is sick and secondly, it's time. Your other self sent us that note." She gestured at the piece of paper still clutched tightly between Chris's fingers.

Placing his palm against his son's forehead to heal him, Leo reached out and took the note from him with his other hand.

"Do you think we should be worried?" Piper asked after Chris had gone upstairs to help his Aunts get things ready. "About Chris being sick, I mean."

Leo shook his head. "He's just a bit susceptible that's all. He doesn't have much immunity to this time's viruses and he's been in contact with other humans a lot lately. It's hardly surprising he's picked something up."

"And some of it might be psychosomatic of course," he added. "With everything he's been through, I think we sometimes forget that he's still only twenty-two. This is a lot for him to handle. He's bound to be apprehensive."

Piper nodded as she lifted her other son from his highchair. "I wish it didn't have to be this way," she said worriedly.

Leo leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. "It's one or the other of them, Piper," he said, smoothing his hand over Wyatt's blond curls. "Are you going to choose?"

Piper sighed and looked down at the child in her arms, then back up at her husband, her brown eyes large and fearful. "What if we lose him?"

"You can't think like that, Piper."

"But it's a possibility," his wife argued. "What sort of parents are we - putting one of our children in that kind of danger?"

Leo sighed. "Look, god knows if there was any other way… But Chris is a grown man, he knows his own mind. Do you think if we tried to stop him, he would just walk away? No, he's come too far, fought too long to do that. The best thing we can do right now is support him every which way we can."

Piper nodded and then drew on her inner reserves of strength and pulled herself together. "Okay, let's get on with it," she said.

**OOOOOO**

_**The Attic, half an hour later…**_

Pacing up and down and trying to calm his agitation, Chris scratched absently at his stomach, which was itching like all get out. Had his Mom been using a different laundry detergent lately?

"Is it time yet?" he demanded for about the tenth time.

Paige reached out and caught hold of both his forearms to halt his relentless pacing. "Calm, deep breaths," she advised.

Heeding this suggestion, Chris drew in a few measured breaths and felt his anxiety levels drop slightly. His nerves were still stretched tighter than a puppet on a string though. Losing his powers was a big deal and the fact that he'd gain Wyatt's in the process wasn't much of a comfort.

Sometimes, growing up, he'd wished for a more destructive power, but now that he was about to receive one – sorry, make that several – he was filled with untold dread. He didn't want to hurt anyone inadvertently, least all the most important people in his life – his beloved family. What if he had no control over Wyatt's powers at all? What would happen then?

"Listen to me," Leo took hold of his son's shoulders and looked him directly in the face. "You can do this. You just have to believe in yourself."

Letting out a raggedy breath, Chris nodded. "Is it time?" he asked again.

Leo drew his son into a brief hug and then released him. "I think we can get started," he decided.

Piper bent and lifted Wyatt out of the playpen, then set him down on his feet in front of her. "Okay little guy," she began but Chris interrupted her.

"I'll do it, Mom," he said, squatting down to his brother's level. "Wyatt?"

The little boy looked around at the sound of his name and then toddled unsteadily over to his brother. Chris drew in a deep breath.

"Now bro, I could really use your help, okay? A lot of bad things happened in my future and I came here to stop them…"

Chris paused for a moment and looked into his sibling's round and impossibly blue eyes. He wasn't sure whether the little boy understood him, but some sixth sense told him that he did.

"Only I need to borrow your powers to do that. I'm going to switch mine with the big grown-up Wyatt who lives in the future, but it means that you won't have your powers until I give them back. That's all right though because you and Mom are going to live at Magic School so the bad guys can't get to you. And even if they do, you know she'll blast them to pieces anyway. Between you and me, she's kind of crazy like that."

"Chris…" Piper said warningly as little Wyatt suddenly giggled.

Chris grinned unrepentantly at her. Now he definitely knew his brother understood. He turned back to Wyatt.

"All right so what d'ya think? Will you help me, kiddo?"

The little boy regarded him solemnly for a moment and then lifted his arms to be picked up. Taking this as a yes, Chris hoisted his brother up into his arms.

"You ready?" he asked the rest of his family. They nodded.

"Okay," he said expansively. "If everyone is sitting comfortably, let's get this show on the road…"

Drawing in another deep breath, he recited the power-switching spell:

"I offer up my gift to share,

Through space and time if you dare.

What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine,

Switch our powers through the air."

Two streams of blue stars emerged from both Wyatt and Chris as their powers left them, coalescing into separate clouds of shimmering light, which hung in mid-air almost as if they were waiting for something. The cloud on the right – Chris's – was significantly larger than the one on the left, which confused him for a moment until another ray of blue light burst forth from nothingness and merged with Wyatt's, restoring the correct balance.

The two power clouds hovered there for a second longer and then moved towards their intended targets, one through space and time to seek out the grown-up Wyatt and the other to Chris, who was almost knocked off his feet by the force of the blow. As he staggered backwards, he felt someone grab his elbow to steady him and baby Wyatt was quickly taken out of his arms.

Chris's head span uncontrollably for a few moments more and then the dizziness subsided. He slowly opened his eyes and found himself looking into his father's familiar blue-green gaze.

"Did it work?" Leo asked.

Chris bit back the hysterical laugh that threatened to burst from his lips and nodded. "Uhh yeah… I think it worked," he said rather shakily.

His own power was an underlying thing but Wyatt's… Wyatt's buzzed through every vein in his body, making his nerve-endings jangle and his hair almost stand on end. It was incredible. And a little frightening… I mean he could do almost anything…

"Don't let it consume you," Leo warned sharply, seeing the rather glazed expression in his son's eyes. "Shut it off like you do with your own powers."

Chris looked at his father, confused. Did he do that with his own powers? Then he realised that maybe he did, just without really thinking about it. Shaking off the addictive feeling of invincibility that Wyatt's powers filled him with, he forcibly returned his own mind, his own conscience, to the driving seat and things became much clearer.

"Wyatt!" he said sharply, glancing towards his Mom and Aunts, but they were already chanting the summoning spell.

Half a minute later, Future Leo materialised in the centre of the attic, supporting an unconscious Wyatt, who was slumped heavily against him. Carefully lowering his eldest son to the floor, he gestured to Phoebe and Paige to set up the crystal cage.

"Is he all right?" Piper demanded, her eyes fixed on her son as her sisters imprisoned him.

"Yeah, he's fine," Future Leo assured her. "Sleep dust – I figured it might be a good idea to knock him out for a while."

"Yeah, 'cus he's gonna be a major pain in the ass as soon as he wakes up," Chris said sardonically, his gaze also on the sleeping Wyatt.

"Precisely," Future Leo concurred, exchanging a faint smile with his younger son. "How are you doing?" he asked in a significant tone.

"Umm… it feels really weird," Chris confessed. "I know Wyatt and I have always had this sort of psychic connection, but this is just… weird. It's like he's inside my head or something."

Future Leo nodded. "I think that's what the prophecy meant," he said. "Wyatt's powers have a sort of consciousness. They're part of him, so in essence it'll be both of you going up against Alcathan when the time comes."

"'For the offspring of the Charmed Bride and her Groom of Light shall have the power to overcome him'." Chris murmured the line from the prophecy.

Future Leo nodded.

"Doesn't that mean we've just turned Chris evil then?" Paige asked. "I mean if Wyatt is…"

Future Leo shook his head. "No – people/demons are good or evil, Paige, not their powers. Powers just… are. It's how they're used that matters."

"So – _can _you use them then?" Paige asked her nephew.

Chris was suddenly, inexplicably nervous. "I don't…"

"Start with something simple," Present Leo suggested. "Try orbing. You already know how to do that."

Chris concentrated and attempted to orb. Unfortunately, nothing happened, although he did feel a slight tingling sensation. Closing his eyes, he tried again to locate the source of his brother's orbs, which seemed to come from a slightly different place to his own. It took one more failed attempt before he hit the jackpot and then he managed to orb in and out on the spot.

It felt decidedly odd though, almost if he was standing to one side of himself rather than being at one with his body. This proved to be problematic when he tried to orb further a field. His aim was a bit off and he kept orbing in too close to solid objects. He was covered in bumps and bruises before he mastered the art of directing his landing.

Next, Paige suggested that he try to orb objects towards him, but this he found completely impossible, despite her over-enthusiastic coaching. Eventually, Future Leo stepped in to call a halt to the proceedings.

"If he can't do this, how is he going to control the rest of Wyatt's powers?" Paige objected.

"I'm not sure he'll ever learn how to orb stuff, Paige," Future Leo said calmly.

"Why?"

"Chris is used to TK-ing things. So you're basically asking him to change a mindset that he's had for the majority of his life. Orbing objects is very similar to TK, but you do have to think slightly differently to do it. Maybe the difference is just too subtle for Chris to grasp. It's no big deal in the long run anyway. He doesn't have to learn to control every one of Wyatt's powers, just enough to equip him appropriately when he goes up against Alcathan."

"I think the most important of those is Wyatt's shield," Piper said, still in overprotective Mom mode. "Why don't you try that?"

Chris regarded her steadily for a moment and then his lips quirked up into a mischievous smile. Reaching inside, he took hold of Wyatt's shield and projected it around himself with virtually no effort.

Piper's mouth dropped open. "How did you do that?"

Chris shrugged. "I already knew how. When we were kids, Wyatt used to lend it to me sometimes."

"But… but why?"

"I don't know. I guess, when we were small, he thought big brothers were supposed to protect their little brothers no matter what."

He glanced sadly over at the grown-up Wyatt who was snoring away to himself, the sleep dust still in effect. "Funny how times change," he said, bitterness creeping into his tone.

Piper reached up and cupped his face in her hands. "We're going to change things back," she said firmly.

Chris nodded. "Yeah, yeah we are," he agreed. "We have to because I'm not going back to the way things were before. I swear I'm not."

**_To be continued…_**

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_**

_**A/N2:**_ Stacey turned into a bigger part than I originally intended. As I was writing this chapter, I thought it would be nice for Chris to have a friend of his own age to confide in, so she'll be popping up here and there between now and the end of the story.

Oh and the spell Chris uses is a slight rehash of one used in the show - the one where Phoebe and Piper switch powers.


	30. A Gathering Storm

**FALSE MEMORIES **

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! New chapter for you at long last. Apologies for it being a day later than promised to the reviewers. Real life interfered so I didn't have time to post yesterday. Anyway, let's get on with the show…

* * *

**Chapter 30 **

In the early hours of the following morning, Chris jolted awake with a start. He had fallen into an exhausted sleep several hours earlier, physically drained by the events of the day. Now though, he was wide-awake and… about to throw up.

Knowing that he would never make it to the bathroom in time otherwise, he orbed there, only just coalescing into human form before his stomach heaved and the sickness came. After he had emptied what must have been his breakfast, lunch and dinner into the toilet bowl, the nausea gradually subsided, leaving him kneeling on the floor with his forehead resting against the cool porcelain and tears leaking from the corners of his eyes.

He stayed there like this for perhaps a minute or more, breathing deeply as the stomach cramps slowly died away, and then struggled to his feet and staggered over towards the washbasin to clean up. Here, he swilled out his mouth with water and brushed his teeth to get rid of the nasty taste in his mouth before raising his gaze to the mirror in front of him.

He wasn't quite sure what he was expecting – for his reflection to look different somehow, he guessed. However, apart from the sallow cheeks and the dark smudges staining the area under his eyes, he still looked remarkably like himself. As he stood there contemplating his reflection in the glass though, an irritating prickling sensation started up on the skin of his stomach again and he reached down to relieve the itch with his fingers, immediately regretting it when the action proved to be painful rather than soothing.

Stepping away from the washbasin, he looked down and saw that the whole area was red and inflamed. It was almost as if he was having an allergic reaction of some sort. The soft flesh was beginning to crack and blister in a narrow strip across his abdomen just below his belly button. Touching it gingerly with his fingertips, he realised it mirrored exactly the trajectory of the cut that he'd received from the demon's athame two days before.

That thought sent a cold shiver down the length of his spine as a horrible realisation dawned. Stacey hadn't been the target, he had. She was just the bait, a witch in trouble to lure him into the ambush. It didn't make any sense though – his Dad had healed that injury. He shook his head – he was just being paranoid. It was simply a coincidence, probably nothing to worry about at all. That was it. It had to be.

Flushing the toilet, he exited the bathroom and padded down the hallway back towards his bedroom, only to be distracted by the soft murmur of voices coming from above. Wyatt was yet to come to, and Future Leo had volunteered to guard him while the rest of them caught up on some much-needed rest. One of the others had obviously elected to join him in the task however, and Chris, whose stomach was still feeling somewhat delicate, resolved to find out whom. Sleep, he decided, wasn't going to come easily until the churning nausea settled down a bit.

As he reached the top of the wooden staircase and stepped over the threshold into the attic, he discovered his two fathers sitting side by side on the sofa, their heads bent together in quiet conversation. They both looked up as he entered and he felt uncomfortably like a bug under a microscope as they each registered his rather sickly appearance.

"Are you all right?" Present Leo asked, quickly coming to his feet as he took in his son's unhealthy-looking pallor.

"I'm fine," Chris insisted, waving off his father's concern and tugging up his pyjama pants to hide the nasty irritation scarring his lower abdomen. "I just… I think the power swap messed up my biorhythms or something. I feel… umm, kind of weird and a bit off-balance."

"Understandable," Future Leo said, seeming to accept this rather vague explanation much to Chris's relief.

He didn't know why he felt the need to conceal the true extent of his malady from them, but something stopped his tongue from confiding it. It was as if the burden was his to bear alone, a private concern that no one else needed to know about.

"So, I take it his Lord and Master is still out for the count then?" he asked instead, turning the conversation away from himself and towards his brother.

Future Leo frowned. "Yeah – I think I might have gone a little overboard on the sleep dust."

"Overboard? More like Overdose," Chris rejoined, "It's been hours, Dad!"

"He's usually quite good at throwing off things like that though," Future Leo said defensively. "It didn't occur to me that without his powers he'd be more susceptible to the effects."

"I don't think it's such a bad thing," Present Leo said. "It's given Chris some time to adjust to the consequences of the power-switching spell, hasn't it?"

"I guess," his other self agreed. "How are you going with that by the way?" he asked their son.

The question went unheard however, for Chris's attention had suddenly snapped towards his brother. "He's waking up," he informed his fathers in an ominous tone.

Present Leo glanced at his eldest son, who still appeared practically comatose to his eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked Chris doubtfully.

The dark-haired witch-whitelighter nodded, his expression tight and wary. "I can hear him."

"Hear him?" Present Leo was confused.

"You know the mystical bond that the girls share?" Future Leo said.

Present Leo nodded.

"Well, our sons have the same thing," his future self explained. "Only it's a bit more developed."

Present Leo's eyes widened. "You mean they're telepathic?" he asked with a certain amount of awe, wondering why this nugget of information had been omitted from his borrowed memories.

"Only with each other," Future Leo replied. "Mix that special Charmed bond with their whitelighter sensing powers and that's what you get."

"And I didn't expect to be coming back, let alone bringing Wyatt with me, so I didn't think it was particularly relevant," he added, answering his counterpart's unspoken question as well.

"They can block it out though," he continued, "Which is what you should be doing," he warned their son. "We discussed this, Chris. You need to stay focused. Don't let him get under your skin."

Chris's gaze was still riveted on Wyatt however, who was now stirring and mumbling under his breath as the fog of his artificially induced slumber slowly lifted.

"Chris!"

The young witch-whitelighter jumped at his father's sharp remonstrance. "It's not like he's going to say anything that he wouldn't say with his mouth," he reasoned.

"Maybe not – but when you're not in his immediate vicinity, you block him out, okay? He's an expert manipulator. Don't give him the opportunity to play you."

"I know his tricks, Dad."

"Yes, but you're not always immune to them. Promise me you'll be careful."

Chris turned his gaze on his father. "Look - I promise okay?" he said. "I've come too far to mess this up now, you know. I just… I need to say goodbye, that's all." He let out a short laugh. "How insane is that, huh? He's nearly killed me - more than once - and he did kill Bianca. Yet _still_ I feel the need to connect with him somehow."

Future Leo sighed. "We all do, son. For me it's because, every so often, I see glimpses of the old Wyatt amidst all that darkness and it makes me think that maybe there's still a way to get him back. I know, in my heart of hearts, that unless you change the future that's just not going to happen, but I can't help hoping for it nevertheless. Giving up on him is just unfathomable to me. He's my son."

"And my brother," Chris said, echoing the sentiment if not the words.

Their conversation was interrupted then, as Wyatt finally threw off the last lingering effects of the sleep dust and jerked awake with a sharp intake of breath. For a brief moment, he looked around wild-eyed, confused by his surroundings, but then quickly regained his composure and leapt to his feet.

"Where have you brought me?" he demanded of his father without pausing to take a breath.

Utterly unmoved by this threatening behaviour, Future Leo folded his arms across his chest and returned his son's steely gaze with admirable calm. "Somewhere you'll be safe," he quietly replied.

"Safe?" Wyatt let out a derisive snort. "And what makes you think I need protecting? I can handle…"

He broke off then and stared, goggle-eyed, as Present Leo stepped into his field of vision. Blinking rapidly, it took him a while to realise that he was indeed seeing double, and then his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"The past," he guessed shrewdly. "You've brought me to the past. Why would you…?"

He stopped again and spun around to face Chris, whose presence he had belatedly registered. There was something different about his little brother, he realised, something different about himself in fact. Why did he feel like Chris was inside his head somehow? It wasn't their telepathic link; this connection was far more profound, something that was integral to the fabric of the person he was.

The need to escape his confines suddenly overwhelmed him and he raised his hand, only to discover that the energy ball he had been intending to fire up didn't materialise.

_'Got a little problem, bro?' _his brother's voice sounded mockingly in his head, inciting his anger.

_'WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO ME?'_ he telepathed back with incredible force, satisfied to note that Chris visibly winced as the silent words hit him squarely between the eyes.

_'And here's me thinking you were smart,' _the dark-haired witch-whitelighter drawled back sarcastically, otherwise unaffected by his brother's soundless bellow.

"I switched our powers," he went on to explain, speaking aloud for their fathers' benefit. "There's this pesky upper level demon that I'm supposed to kill and I'm told your powers'll come in handy with that."

"That spell doesn't work unless both parties are willing," Wyatt shot back immediately and was infuriated to see his brother's lips quirk up in a scornful little smirk.

"That's rather a moot point now, don't you think?" he queried laughingly, making Wyatt's blood boil.

Chris's forehead creased in concentration and a surging ball of violet energy appeared his upturned palm. "Is this what you were looking for?" he asked airily.

"Ahhh!"

Losing his temper, Wyatt gave vent to his rage, raising his hands and repeatedly throwing his brother's telekinesis power at the crystal cage that he was trapped inside. The bars of light undulated dramatically under the unrelenting onslaught but remained intact, although not without giving his watching captors some cause for concern.

"Whoa! That was a quick study," Present Leo murmured in his other self's ear.

Future Leo nodded in agreement. "His mind is extraordinarily attuned to the metaphysical. It's part of why he's destined to be who he is, whether that be good or evil. You may have noticed that Chris doesn't lag very far behind him on that score. You are aware that it took him mere hours to gain control of powers that should have taken him decades to perfect, right?"

Present Leo nodded. Chris's aptitude for learning hadn't escaped his notice earlier, although he'd chosen not to comment on it. There didn't seem to be any point, considering the ability could only be an advantage in the fight against their enemy.

As he watched his brother's fury escalate to epic proportions, Chris felt a deep sense of satisfaction run through him. Despite his desperate need to rescue Wyatt from the claws of evil, he still felt anger at his sibling's unwitting betrayal of him, their family and everything that they stood for. Not to mention the mental torture that Wyatt had put him through since his defection – the enforced and unnecessary estrangement from their father for instance, the immense pressure he had been placed under to join his brother's twisted regime, another example. As well as Bianca's death…

Or should that be murder? Because whether he had meant to or not, Wyatt had killed the unfortunate Phoenix and, on confronting his sibling for the first time since that last fatal encounter, Chris felt a strong desire for revenge, for retribution of some sort. What's more, he had the means to take it now. Immense power was flowing through his veins, potent and seductive. He could end this. Destroy the evil that had devastated his life and taken away the four people he had loved most in the world. His Mom, his Dad, Bianca and his brother, they were all lost to him in some shape or form.

Ending it was simple. All he had to do was to tear down that crystal cage and unleash his brother's power – the Ultimate Power – against its occupant and the havoc that Alcathan had wrecked on their lives would be no more, would be reduced to dust in an instant, a baby's breath, a heartbeat. If he could only find the courage, the strength, the _will_ to take the revenge that belonged to him; it would finally all be over.

Except it wouldn't. Because, while it might have been Wyatt's hand that had crushed so much of his hope, it wasn't his brother's. The body and the mind might be one of the same, but the heart and soul were anything but. The once shining soul was riddled with the scourge of evil, the heart withered and only capable of a mere fraction of the love that it used to feel and give out in abundance.

If he ended the life before him, he would be destroying the last remaining fragments of a once-revered brother and he knew that he'd never be able to forgive himself for that. To spill the blood of the innocent child sleeping peacefully in his cot far away at Magic School, he just couldn't do it. Alcathan was responsible for this, not Wyatt. It was Alcathan who deserved all of his anger, all of his pain. The demon was the one who had started this war and Chris had finally discovered the key to unlocking the strong and steady resolve he required to finish it…

Once and for all.

Finally.

No matter what…

Unaware of their youngest's internal struggles with the darker side of his conscience, the two Leos stood calmly, shoulder to shoulder, watching as their eldest son's rather spectacular temper tantrum reached a rapid crescendo and then gradually began to burn itself out.

"Bet you can't wait for the terrible twos now," Future Leo quipped dryly at one point, making his younger counterpart laugh despite the very real horror of the situation. To see one's son utterly consumed by such out of control fury was no laughing matter for any father. How had it all come to this?

Understandably, Wyatt's awakening had aroused the rest of the household and Paige and Phoebe, both still dressed in their nightclothes and rubbing sleep from their eyes, soon joined them. Piper, on the other hand, slumbered on oblivious in her bed at Magic School, her little boy snoring in the cot beside her and her unborn child cocooned protectively in her swelling womb.

The arrival of his Aunts finally brought Wyatt out of his fit of temper and he lowered his hands to greet them. "Oo look - a family reunion. Aren't I the privileged one?" he said sarcastically. "Gotta say – you're both looking good. I'd forgotten how time _hasn't_ been kind to you."

"I see he's still a charmer despite being evil," Paige remarked wryly to Future Leo who shot her a brief, pain-filled half-smile in return.

"Actually, speaking of family reunions…" Wyatt continued thoughtfully, his gaze ping ponging between his brother and father as it occurred to him that they'd been working on this little charade together.

"I broke your memory spell seven months ago, Wyatt," Future Leo explained wearily. "Did you really think I wouldn't find a way?"

"No actually. I knew you'd have an original thought sooner or later. I'm kind of disappointed in you though. I didn't think it'd take you five long years to do it. Poor little Chris thinking his Daddy didn't love him for all that time. You'd think you'd have tried a bit harder to make it all better for him, wouldn't you? Maybe those memories weren't so false after all. Maybe secretly you were glad that I gave you some freedom from the whiny little runt."

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Chris stormed, his hands clenched into fists by his sides and his eyes glittering with a mixture of emotional pain and uncontrollable anger.

Sensing that his son was teetering dangerously close to the edge, Present Leo quickly reached out and placed a calming hand on Chris's forearm, while Future Leo faced down Wyatt. "Nothing could be further from the truth," he told him. "And you know it."

"Yeah, but he's just so gullible he falls for it every time, doesn't he?" Wyatt shot back. "I used to think he was a complete Mommy's boy, but now I'm not so sure. Daddy's girl is a lot more like it, don't you reckon?"

"CHRIS!"

Future Leo warned sharply when Chris reacted hotly to his brother's taunt by hurling an energy ball at the shimmering crystal cage. Wyatt jumped back as his prison buzzed, a self-satisfied smirk crossing his handsome face.

"Get him out of here," Future Leo instructed his other self.

Nodding curtly, Present Leo caught hold of their irate son's arm and orbed him downstairs to the kitchen.

"Calm down," he said, grabbing hold of Chris's shoulders and shaking him slightly. "You're reacting exactly the way he wants."

"So I should give him the satisfaction of getting away with it, should I?" Chris burst out angrily, his green eyes flashing with fire.

"You already did, Chris! Wyatt might not be able to break out of that cage with your powers, but you can easily break in with his! And he knows it."

"Oh." Chris said, his temper deflating as he realised how easily he'd been manipulated. "Dammit!" he swore, angry with himself now. "He's right. I am gullible."

Leo shook his head. "No, you're just human. He's playing on the lingering fears that his memory spell has wrought in you… and the anger he knows you must harbour against him for casting it. I know it won't be easy but you need to try to turn off your emotions when you're around him…"

"Or avoid him as much as possible," Chris cut in.

Leo nodded. "That might be an idea. It's important that you keep your wits about you. You can't afford to get distracted."

"So everyone keeps telling me," Chris said with an exasperated roll of his eyes. "Will you all save it with the responsibility crap already? Don't you think that I don't know that the fate of the whole world depends on whether I live or die? Don't you think I don't lie awake every night thinking about what will happen if I fail? It's all I _ever_ think about these days, believe me."

Leo felt suddenly guilty. Hadn't he said to Piper only yesterday that they shouldn't forget that Chris was still only twenty-two, despite his apparent maturity? Hadn't he reminded her that they needed to support him every way they could so he didn't feel so alone in all of this?

What's worse was that his son's words rang with an uncomfortable vein of truth to them. This could very well be the life and death situation that Chris predicted, and that reality filled his father with stone-cold fear. It was the reason why he – along with everyone else, he presumed – had been pushing Chris to focus on the task at hand, to stay vigilant at all times. Unfortunately, in doing so, they'd only succeeded in heaping more pressure on him. Pressure that he didn't need.

"I know, I'm sorry… Son, what's wrong?" he asked worriedly when Chris suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth, pushed him aside and bolted for the kitchen sink.

The sound of retching came moments later and Leo quickly moved over to assist the stricken witch-whitelighter, rubbing his hand in soothing circles over his back as the boy's throat convulsed in a series of dry, painful heaves. Reaching out for a glass, he filled it with water and calmly handed it to his son when the sickness had receded.

"Thanks," Chris muttered, gulping down the cool liquid in an attempt to soothe his parched throat.

Leo pulled out a chair from the table and urged him to sit down before taking the chair alongside him, his blue-green eyes filled with fatherly concern. Chris was pale and shaking, beads of sweat standing out on his forehead and his eyes red with involuntary moisture.

"Do you need me to heal you?" Leo asked.

Chris shook his head violently from side to side. "No, no, I'm okay… I think it's just the spell…"

"And the rest," Leo remarked astutely.

"The… the rest?"

"It's okay to be frightened, Chris, you know. Nobody will think any less of you for admitting that."

Chris didn't answer. Instead, he kept his head bowed as he nervously twisted his fingers together in his lap.

Leo sighed. "You need to get some sleep," he said, smoothing his hand over the top of his son's bent head. "You'll feel better in the morning."

"But Wyatt…"

"I think we're capable of handling him without your assistance," Leo said, pushing back his chair and rising to his feet. "You go up to your room and get yourself settled, while I mix up a sleeping draught to help you relax."

Chris didn't see any point in arguing. He was tired. Bone-tired in fact, his limbs were literally aching with fatigue and his eyes felt sore and gritty, as if he'd been forced to keep them open for a week. Dragging himself to his feet, he slowly made his way up the stairs to the first floor landing, where he could hear voices filtering down from the attic above. He chose to ignore them though, instead retreating into the sanctuary of his room and crawling into bed, where he curled up under the comforter and closed his eyes with a deep sigh.

His brain wouldn't shut down however. Images of Alcathan's scarred face; Wyatt, his eyes filled with hate, Bianca, her body impaled on a broken piece of wood; his Mom, lying in a pool of her own blood on the kitchen floor - all flickered one by one across the screen of his closed eyelids and, try as he might, he couldn't close his mind to them. The images haunted him almost every hour of every day, keeping him awake at night when everyone else was at peace in their respective dream worlds. Chris was beginning to think that he hadn't actually ever known the definition of a good's night sleep; it was so long since he had experienced one.

His confused and wandering thoughts drifted back to the demon attack the other day. His Dad might be right; his symptoms could just be a result of his spiralling nerves, but then again… He needed to do some investigating, he decided. At least it would get him out of the house and away from Wyatt for a while, and would be a good opportunity to try out his newly acquired powers on some lesser demons before tackling Alcathan too.

"Chris?"

His father's soft questioning voice cut into his thoughts and he wearily opened his eyes. Leo was standing next to the bed, a glass half-filled with pale green liquid held in his right hand. Chris pushed himself up into a sitting position and docilely reached out for the drink. He swallowed it in a couple of gulps and immediately felt a deep lassitude wash over him.

Leo quickly removed the glass from his son's suddenly limp fingers and urged him to lie back against the pillows. By the time, he'd tucked the comforter over Chris's prone form, the boy was asleep, his breathing deep and even and his mind free from all extraneous thought. Luckily, the potion Leo had concocted didn't have the same drugging quality as sleep dust, promoting natural slumber instead. Chris would therefore wake in the morning feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, without the groggy after-effects of sleep dust to contend with.

Stepping back, the Elder nodded in quiet satisfaction. His healing power could only cure the physical. Stress and nervous tension were beyond his reach. However, his years as a doctor had generated an interest in the medicinal value of various magical potions, a subject that he'd studied widely unbeknownst to the majority of his family. He'd therefore made the sleeping draught deliberately concentrated and had added a few extra ingredients to create a calming effect that would aid restful sleep, figuring his son needed some respite from everything that was going on around him for a little while.

Turning away from the bed, he flipped off the light switch and plunged the room into darkness, before stepping out onto the landing and closing the door behind him with a soft click. He paused there for a moment, taking some time to gather his thoughts, and then made his way over to the attic staircase and went to rejoin the rest of his family.

**OOOOOO **

**_The Attic, a short while earlier… _**

"Gee! Was it something I said?" Wyatt asked as his brother and the present version of his father disappeared in a familiar swirl of blue lights.

"This isn't a game, Wyatt," Future Leo said snappily, his patience starting to wear thin.

When he'd returned to the future seven months ago, he had thought that Chris was finally free of all of this, of having to contend with this cruel parody of the Wyatt that once was. He'd known that the weeks and months ahead were not going to be easy for his youngest son, but he had still believed that this was one thing that Chris would never have to endure again, a brother who tortured and tormented him without any apparent concern for his feelings. How wrong could he have been?

Wyatt however, didn't falter. He remained as bold as brass despite being aware that he was caught in a no-win situation. "Au contraire, father," he replied smoothly. "That's exactly what it is. Haven't you figured that one out yet?"

Future Leo didn't answer so his defiant son changed tack, returning the conversation to its original thread. "Are you going to tell me why you've brought me here or am I supposed to guess?" he demanded.

His father considered it. Should he tell him the truth or not? Would Wyatt be able to use the information to his advantage somehow? Was it even right to keep it from him? If Chris succeeded, then neither he nor Wyatt would continue to exist in their current incarnations. Shouldn't his son therefore be forewarned of what was about to happen to him?

Leo sighed. He knew he shouldn't feel any loyalty to the evil tyrant standing before him and yet he did, he just couldn't help it. When push came to shove, Wyatt was still his son. He was still a father and a love like that didn't ever completely die, no matter what the circumstances. He would still heal the boy if he were hurt, do all he could to protect him from his enemies, stand in between him and certain death…

The only thing capable of persuading him not to was Chris. Choosing between his sons was incomprehensible to him, but he would protect the good above the evil because he had to, because there was no other choice. Fate had forced him into a Faustian bargain and there was no way out of it. It was one or the other and he would willingly sacrifice himself and his eldest son to give both his boys the chance of a better future. It was his blessing and his curse, his most fervent hope versus his saddest reflection. There wasn't anything else he could do…

"We know who it was who turned you," he announced, deciding to tell Wyatt at least part of the truth it not all. "We know all about Alcathan, Wyatt. He tried to hide in the shadows, remain undetected, but he couldn't escape the power of the entire Charmed line."

Wyatt blanched and paled slightly. "You… you can't stop him," he warned darkly.

"There's a prophecy that says different, that he is destined to die at either your or your brother's hand."

Wyatt was clearly gobsmacked by this, but Leo could almost see the cogs whirring in his brain as he fit the pieces of the jigsaw together inside his head.

"You're sending Chris to his death," he said in a bleak tone of voice. "Alcathan can't be stopped; he can only be… contained. Whatever you've got in mind, it's a suicide mission. You can't succeed; this is how it's meant to be."

"No Wyatt, this was _never_ how it was meant to be."

"Is that what you've done to him in the future?" Phoebe asked her nephew. "Contain him?"

"That's non of your business," Wyatt snapped.

"Ahh, but I think it is," Paige countered. "Question is why? What was it that he did that made you turn against him?"

"Killed your Mom maybe?" she queried when Wyatt didn't answer.

The reaction from her nephew was swift and immediate. "He wasn't responsible for that, he helped me avenge her. Which was a whole lot more than you ever did."

Paige laughed quietly. "Oh yeah, we saw your 'vengeance.' We saw what it did to you. Your Mom would have never wanted you to sacrifice your soul in her name you know that? And can I say naïve? You can't possibly believe that Alcathan seeking you out after her death was pure coincidence can you?"

"This conversation is completely pointless," Wyatt returned arrogantly. "I don't know what you think you're going to achieve by it. I am who I am. I would never go back. My life is simple, uncomplicated. I have the power and I use it. People bow down at my feet."

"Not all of them obviously," Phoebe said. "It seems your brother is more than a little uncooperative."

"Yeah – the brainwashing is rather extensive, I'll admit that. He _will_ break eventually though. It's inevitable."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that if I were you," Future Leo said.

"Ahh Dad, ever the optimist. You always did put too much faith in him. You can give him my powers, but he'll never be me. He doesn't have what it takes to defeat Alcathan, not by a long shot. If you believe that he does, then you're kidding yourselves. Chris is…"

"Stubborn as hell and endlessly determined," his father put in firmly. "Rather like his mother in fact. And you're right; this conversation is getting us nowhere. This is the way it is, Wyatt, so you better get used to it. You're going to be here for a while."

"He's so going to bottle it," Wyatt predicted.

"That is a matter of opinion," Future Leo said dismissively. "I think you girls should go back to bed," he told his sister-in-laws brusquely.

"But…," Phoebe protested, desisting when he shook his head at her.

He herded her and her sister out the doorway and down the attic stairs, where they met his present counterpart coming in the opposite direction.

"Can you…?" Future Leo asked his other self, throwing a pointed glance back over his shoulder towards the attic.

"Sure," the other Leo agreed, stepping around them and continuing his ascent.

"What did you do that for?" Phoebe said when they reached the first floor landing. "We were getting somewhere with him."

Future Leo shook his head. "No you weren't. This is what he does. Twists the conversation, reacts in all of the right places to lure you into a false sense of security and then strikes."

"But he can't not care about Piper's death," Phoebe objected.

"Oh, he cares but not in the way you'd think, not enough to hear what you're trying to say. Listening to that is counterproductive for him, you see. It erodes his belief system and he won't have that. He won't relinquish his control on the world for anything."

"So you said he was trying to manipulate us?" Paige asked, "How exactly?"

Leo gave them a wry smile. "By trying to persuade you that Chris isn't up to challenging Alcathan," he explained. "That he's only going to die in the attempt. He's playing on your desire to protect your nephews from harm. If you start to believe the risk is too high then you're not going to let him go through with it."

"Wyatt's not wrong though, is he?" Paige said solemnly. "It's not exactly a no risk strategy."

"No, but the outcome is not an eventuality either. The prophecy exists for a reason and Chris's greatest advantage is if he believes in himself. For him to do that, we have to believe in him too; even if deep down we are as scared as hell."

Paige and Phoebe exchanged a significant glance but said nothing.

"Go and get some rest," Leo said in a gentler tone. "There's nothing more you can do until morning. Hopefully then we might be able to turn the tables on him a bit."

"How?"

"With Piper," Leo said simply. "You were right about one thing, Phoebe. He does care about her death. Seeing her again is going to knock him for six; that much I do know."

Upstairs meanwhile, Wyatt was getting decidedly frustrated. Every attempt to engage his past father in conversation was being met with infuriating silence. The guy was so serene it was unbelievable. He knew the years of upheaval had hardened his father's resolve, but this was the man who had existed before all of that. How could he be so immune to the emotional reality of the son that stood before him?

What Wyatt didn't know of course was that Present Leo wasn't completely unprepared for this meeting. He had the advantage of his other self's memories and he had talked extensively to Chris as well. It had taken some doing, but he had finally persuaded his son to confide in him about the future. He therefore knew the way his eldest child operated. Silence seemed like the best countermeasure to that.

Despite a penchant for dogged persistence, Wyatt eventually gave up and sat down on the wooden floor with a thump, reconsidering his options. Okay so if his past Dad wasn't going to talk, then he would find someone who would. Closing his eyes, he sought out his brother's mind, only to find it completely blocked off to him. But that was impossible - Chris could actively shut him out, yes, but this wasn't simply a door closed in his face, this was a hundred metre thick wall. Plus, he could sense his brother was asleep and he'd always been able to invade his dreams.

"I imagine it's a side-effect of the sleeping potion I just gave him," Leo's dry voice cut into his musings and Wyatt's eyes snapped open to find his father regarding him knowingly.

"It's supposed to bring about restful sleep," the Elder went on. "I think that probably extends to blocking out anything that would interfere with that."

Wyatt found himself a little unnerved. He was beginning to think that maybe he'd underestimated his father somewhat. He knew that he was focused and determined now, but back when all this had started, he'd assumed that Leo had just been flailing about in the wind, not knowing what to do. This told him different. He'd not been incapable; he'd just been in the dark as to what was going on, and, to a certain extent, incapacitated by grief at effectively losing his entire family.

He was going to have to refine his strategy for escape slightly, he realised. His family were not going to be as easily swayed by his emotional mind games as he'd originally thought. They'd obviously planned this carefully, covered every angle so they were fully prepared for anything that he might throw at them. Chris had reacted hot-temperedly to his taunting, true, but it was unlikely that he'd make the same mistake twice. He was going to have to rethink things. In the meantime, however, he was stuck here whether he liked it or not.

"This is inhumane, you know," he burst out in frustration as the older version of his father rejoined them. "Keeping me here like this. What happens if I need to take a leak, use the shower or something?"

"You have temporary facilities for that," Future Leo replied matter-of-factly, indicating the covered bucket in the far corner of his cage.

"You have got to be kidding me!" his son exclaimed in outrage.

"And you'll be allowed out under strict supervision," his father went on, ignoring the outburst. "But don't get any ideas," he added when Wyatt's eyes immediately brightened as he spotted a possible loophole in their plan, "You won't make it past the perimeter of the house."

"This…" he gestured at the circle of crystals that encapsulated that majority of the attic's dusty floor, "Isn't the only cage you're trapped behind. The Manor essentially forms the other, much larger one."

"Well congratulations," Wyatt observed bitingly, "I think I'm almost impressed."

Future Leo sighed. "This isn't a punishment, Wyatt. It's for your own protection whether you believe that or not. The girls and the other me have tried to make things as comfortable as possible for you."

Although he was loath to admit it, Wyatt could see that this was indeed the case. A futon with boldly patterned pillows and matching coverlet had been provided, along with an armchair, a small portable TV and a stack of books. He wasn't about to act grateful for their thoughtfulness however.

"So if you've sealed the Manor, why bother imprisoning me up here at all?" he demanded.

His father laughed, a startlingly empty sound that was devoid of any actual humour. "You didn't honestly expect us to let you roam freely about the place, did you?" he asked in a harsh tone. "Exactly how naïve do you think I am?"

"Careful Dad, you're beginning to sound rather bitter," Wyatt remarked insolently, pleased at having struck a raw nerve. "Isn't that supposed to be against an Elder's religion or something?"

"Quite possibly," Future Leo freely admitted, refusing to be drawn into his son's physiological game, "But then I never did make the best Elder, even before…"

"I learned that there was more to life than just being a fully paid-up member of the Brady Bunch?" Wyatt interrupted acidly.

"Before your _mentor_ put out a contract killing on the love of my life," Future Leo finished coldly.

It was almost undetectable, but Present Leo, watching the exchange between his eldest child and his future self from the sidelines, caught the slight flicker of uncertainty that passed over his son's face at this. It was something that Wyatt had not allowed himself to consider, he could tell. The metaphorical armour, which he wore against all the things that reminded him of what he once was, had a few chinks in it seemed.

Leo wondered how he was going to react when he came face to face with Piper tomorrow. He was under no illusions that Wyatt was suddenly going to turn into Mr Cooperative as a result, but it would be interesting to see how it affected him nevertheless. Would it quieten him down or antagonise him further? There was no way of knowing. They would just have to wait and see.

Thoughts of his wife made him suddenly long for the tranquillity of her presence. It was difficult to witness what the relationship between himself and his beloved son had tragically become. Wyatt was condescending, disrespectful; rejecting everything that Leo stood for, the values he had hoped to pass on to his sons. As for his future self, he was - as Wyatt had pointed out - bitter and resentful, almost hating the love that he still felt for this shell of his first-born but not knowing how to escape from it. It was painful to behold and he didn't know how much longer he could stand to watch.

"Go."

Startlingly slightly, Present Leo looked up to find his future self regarding him with quiet understanding in his steady gaze.

"But…"

"I'll handle it."

Present Leo bowed to unspoken words he could hear in this short rebuttal of his protest. He could virtually read his other self's mind, which made sense seeing as it was simply himself twenty years down the line. He knew what he'd have said if it were him:

_'I'll handle it; you'll have enough to deal with when I'm gone. Take strength from your family while you have the chance. Let them bolster you for what lies ahead.' _

Rising to his feet, he nodded briefly at Future Leo in thanks, then orbed out to Magic School. The small apartment set aside for Piper's use was dark and peaceful, an oasis in the gathering storm. Wandering into the only bedroom, he smiled as Wyatt's contented little snuffles reached his ears and stopped by the cot to lightly stroke his son's downy cheek.

"Leo?"

Piper's voice sounded quietly in the darkness.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you," he said, crossing to the bed.

"Where've you been?"

"The Manor."

"He's awake, isn't he?" Piper said and he could hear the quiver of apprehension in her voice.

Leo sighed. "Yeah," he replied, the one word speaking volumes.

Piper sighed and fell silent as he quietly undressed and slipped into bed beside her.

"Should we…?" she started to ask as he curled his body round hers, spooning her from behind.

"Tomorrow," he cut in firmly, his hand coming to rest on her protruding belly. Her stomach immediately rippled under the weight of his palm and he drew in a surprised breath.

"Did you feel that?" Piper asked in a hushed tone.

"Yes."

"I guess someone decided it was about time he said hi to Daddy - even if it is way past his bedtime."

Leo smiled contentedly, tucking his face into the crook of her neck. "It's funny," he mused. "I didn't think it would be such an incredible moment the second time round, but it's not really any different."

"No, I know," Piper said, her hand closing over his. "It's not quite the same journey into the unknown as before, but it's no less of a miracle…"

"And someone needs to go back to sleep or Mommy's going to be very cross," she added sternly as baby Chris performed another somersault inside of her, apparently deciding that this was a good time to play.

Leo chuckled, the knots of tension slowly unravelling. "Well, it wasn't as if we didn't know this one was going to be trouble," he quipped.

"And that's a fact," Piper agreed wholeheartedly as their tiny unborn child continued to make his presence well and truly felt, using the walls of his mother's womb as a convenient trampoline...

**_To be continued… _**


	31. Prevention not Cure

**FALSE MEMORIES **

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hey! I know it's been forever since I updated so apologies for that. Combination of a busy time at work, a couple of weeks holiday in Italy and a case of writer's block with respect to the third scene in this chapter – the others have been written for a while now.

Anyway, finally managed to complete it so here it is :-) Last time - if you can remember that far back – the Halliwells had imprisoned Future Wyatt upstairs in the Manor attic, while Chris was struggling with a mysterious injury…

**OOOOOO **

**Chapter 31 **

"What are you concentrating so hard on?" Phoebe asked her younger sister curiously.

She was preparing breakfast at the kitchen counter, while Paige sat at the kitchen table, chewing absently on the end of a pen, her eyes lost in thought. On the table in front of her was a notepad covered in half-finished sentences and a myriad of crossing-outs.

"I'll tell you when it's ready," she told her sister vaguely as she put pen to paper once more.

Phoebe was about to press the issue when a shimmering sound alerted her to the fact that a hidden doorway had just opened up in what was usually a solid wall out in the hallway. The sound of Piper and Leo's murmured conversation immediately followed and she smiled as the two of them entered the kitchen, hand in hand.

"Hey guys! Sleep well?"

"When son number two finally got tired of using Mommy as a trampoline, yeah," Piper said ruefully, smoothing her hand over her rounded belly as she crossed to join her sister at the counter.

"Where's son number one?" Phoebe asked, "The baby version I mean."

"In Magic School day-care," Piper answered.

"Really? They do that?"

"Apparently so," was her sister's succinct reply.

"Is Chris still asleep?" Leo asked then.

Phoebe nodded. "I think so," she said. "It's getting kind of late though. Do you think we should wake him?"

Leo shook his head. "No, leave him be. He could use the rest. I think all of this is starting to take its toll on him a little bit."

"What are you doing?" Piper queried with a frown, as Phoebe sliced yet another muffin in half and added it to the small mountain of different varieties that were balanced precariously on the plate in front of her.

"Making Mr Antisocial upstairs some breakfast," her sister replied. "I figured you wouldn't want us to starve him."

"Nor do I want you to give him a major sugar high," Piper said with an exasperated shake of her head.

"Yeah," Paige piped up from across the room. "He's hyper enough already without that."

"Do we have any eggs?" Piper asked, elbowing her sister aside and quickly taking charge of the situation.

"Yeah, I think Chris got some when he went grocery shopping yesterday. They're in the fridge…What?" Phoebe broke off and looked questionably at Piper, who was staring at her with an incredulous expression on her face.

"You sent Chris out grocery shopping?" she said. "With everything else that he had to deal with yesterday?"

"Of course not," Phoebe said. "He offered - said with you and Wyatt at Magic School, the rest of us would either starve or end up with clogged arteries if he didn't."

Leo chuckled at that. "Wise boy," he commented.

"Mmm," Piper agreed, looking at her siblings in mild censure, "Seems I managed to teach my boys to be self-sufficient, but somehow failed miserably with my sisters."

"Hey! Just because we don't, doesn't mean we can't," Paige protested. She smiled beatifically at her older sister. "We just know how much you enjoy organising and looking after us, Piper."

"Oh right, so you're doing me a favour, is that it?"

"Exactly!" Paige concurred with a bright nod and another winning smile.

Phoebe laughed and Piper rolled her eyes in long-suffering affection. Despite their teasing, her sisters didn't really leave her to do all the chores on her own, although she definitely did the lion's share. They helped her out on a regular basis though, and she knew they were grateful for the loving care she heaped on them in between times.

Besides, Paige wasn't completely wrong, she did gain a certain level of satisfaction from her domestic duties. Plus, if she left them to their own devices, her well ordered and efficient home would rapidly descend into one of chaos, and that just wouldn't do. No, she preferred to be captain of her own ship, thank you very much. An opinion her youngest son obviously shared, given the well-stocked fridge she was greeted with when she looked inside.

Removing a carton of eggs and a packet of lean bacon, she set about preparing her eldest child a significantly more nutritious breakfast than the one his Aunt had been intending to feed him. The act of doing so brought her thoughts round to the confrontation that she'd been secretly dreading however. The thought of facing an evil Wyatt was twisting her insides into painful knots.

She wasn't sure how she was going to reconcile the love that she felt for him with the person she knew he had become. She was his mother after all and she didn't want to hate him. But how could she excuse the pain he'd caused his little brother, his father and the rest of his future family? Not to mention the other evil acts she knew he must have committed in his time. Acts, incidentally, that she had no real knowledge of, since both Chris and Leo were reluctant to fill her in on the details for fear of upsetting her unnecessarily.

"You don't have to do this you know."

Piper looked up to find Future Leo standing by the counter. She had been so lost in her melancholic thoughts that she hadn't heard him enter the room. She had no trouble distinguishing between the two versions of her husbands now, for they no longer looked completely the same. Her Leo was younger, more carefree, whereas this Leo was tired and worn, a shadow of his former self. He was regarding her with quiet sympathy in his blue-green eyes, and she immediately dropped her gaze to the pan of eggs she was stirring, knowing that he had the uncanny ability to look right into her heart if he chose to do so.

"He has to eat," she said evasively.

Future Leo studied her bent head knowingly. "Maybe, but you don't have to be the one to serve him."

Piper drew in a deep breath and finally looked him in the eye. "No, I have to know," she said firmly. "I _need _to know, Leo."

Future Leo nodded. "As long as you're sure."

"I am." Piper was resolute despite her misgivings.

She needed to know because it would give her the impetus to do everything in her power to prevent it from happening again. Not everyone got a chance to look at their future and see where they might have gone wrong. The knowledge would make her a better Mom, she knew, but that didn't mean the reality was any easier to face right now. At least she'd done something right, she consoled herself, thinking affectionately of her other son sleeping peacefully upstairs in his bed, the one who was the very essence of all that was good in the world. That had to count for something, didn't it?

"Just be careful, okay?" Future Leo said softly. "He can be very manipulative. Don't let him make you feel…"

"Guilty? Responsible?" Piper interrupted.

Leo shook his head. "No. Like his Mom."

"What's that supposed to mean? I am his Mom."

"Yeah and he's more than capable of playing on that, Piper. Making you believe that he is suffering in some way for instance, to trick you into getting too close to him."

"So he's incapable of feeling anything? Is that what you're saying?"

"No, that's the point… he does still feel things, especially where you and Chris are concerned. He never fully broke the link with his family remember? He held onto his brother because he wanted him to fight by his side, but in doing so, he left a small part of his soul intact. Because of that, some of his behaviour will be genuine, but that's only going to make it harder for you to distinguish the parts that are not. You need to be aware of that and stay on your guard."

Piper nodded solemnly, understanding what he was trying to say. Her inherent desire to make her son appear more likeable, more human, could be her undoing. She could easily read more into his behaviour than was actually there. It would have been simpler if he were pure evil in the end. There'd be no shades of grey to see through then.

"But Chris would more than likely be dead," Leo said, somehow reading her thoughts.

She looked up at him, astonished, and he smiled. "We were married a long time," he said with a shrug.

"Okay, I think I got it!" Paige said triumphantly.

"Got what?" Piper asked, distracted from their conversation by her sister's exclamation.

"A little something to help deal with the King of Verbal Diarrhoea upstairs," she said, holding out the piece of paper.

Future Leo took it and glanced over the short verse. "I'm not sure that's entirely ethical," he said with a chuckle.

"What?" Piper demanded, snatching the piece of paper from her future husband's hand. Her eyes widened as she read the spell. "Paige!"

"Hey! You haven't met him yet," her sister protested. "I swear that if I'd listened to him long enough, I might have been persuaded that what he was saying was reasonable. If he can't talk though, there's no danger of him manipulating us."

"You just can't take away my son's voice!"

"I'm not," Paige said. "I'm just making it so we can't hear him, unless we learn to lip-read that is. I'm not suggesting that we use it all the time, Piper, just as a defence mechanism if he starts to get to any of us."

"The idea does have a certain amount of merit," Future Leo said, "Although it'll only be a temporary measure. I don't imagine it'll take him too long to figure out how to reverse it."

"But without his powers…" Paige protested.

"He's still a powerful witch," Future Leo reminded her. "He's got Chris's powers and his own memories. He can't get out of the cage because that's not strictly a spell. It's a magical barrier and it requires a physical power to break through it. It also doesn't let any active magic out, as you know, but a reversal spell is slightly different. The active part of the spell is outside of the cage, so it can slip through the net if you know how to control the circumstances correctly."

"Okay, so now I've got a headache," Paige complained.

Future Leo smiled. "I think I've probably spent too much time in the Magic School library over the years," he admitted. "I suppose in a way I enjoyed the study as well as the teaching."

"Teaching? You taught at Magic School?" Paige asked incredulously.

Future Leo exchanged an amused glance with his present self, knowing that it was also Paige's destiny to teach there at one particular point in her life.

"Yeah," he said. "Magic School was created by the Elders, and I'm an Elder. It seemed a logical thing for me to teach there, especially as it allowed me to be close to my family. The Elders also thought it might be prudent to have someone on hand to deal with the boys too."

"Our boys, you mean?" Piper questioned. "Wyatt and Chris?"

Future Leo nodded.

"Why? What were they expecting? Delinquents?" Piper was deeply offended by the inferred slight on her mothering skills.

Future Leo laughed. "No, just normal growing boys – ones with a whole lot of magical power though, a lot more than any previous student at Magic School. It did make a certain kind of sense to be honest. They had a particular knack for creating havoc in their wake as I recall. Not so much with their own magical experimentation, although there was some of that to clean up too, it was more that they inspired their peers to try things that were beyond their capabilities. Powerful magic in the hands of amateurs is not a happy combination, believe me."

"I can imagine," Paige agreed with a shudder.

The toaster popped then, making them all jump. Piper removed the two slices of crispy bread, placed them on a plate and piled the scrambled eggs and bacon on top. "Okay, this is ready," she said somewhat shakily, placing the finished breakfast on a tray with a large glass of orange juice.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Future Leo asked her again.

Swallowing hard, Piper nodded and squared her shoulders determinedly. "Let's get this over with," she said firmly.

**OOOOOO **

**_Meanwhile upstairs… _**

Slowly, almost as if he were wading through a sea of molasses, Chris came awake. He opened his eyes and blinked until his vision cleared. Despite the closed drapes, the lightness of the room informed him that it was already mid-morning. The alarm clock on the nightstand confirmed this opinion – nine thirty – several hours after his normal getting up time.

He felt calm, strangely serene in fact - the after affects of the sleeping potion that his Dad had given him, he quickly surmised. He also felt much better physically, although he was still rather weak and somewhat lethargic. The dull ache behind his eyes was gone though, and the nausea seemed to have finally abated, which was definitely a good thing.

Sitting up, he pushed down the waistband of his pyjamas to look at the athame injury on his stomach. This, unlike his other symptoms, appeared considerably worse than before however. The jagged wound was scabbed over and oozing unhealthy-looking yellow pus, and he almost gagged at the unpleasant sight.

He was suddenly filled with the need to escape. He desperately needed to leave the claustrophobic surrounds of the Manor and his brother's oppressive presence within it, and break free of the stress of it all for a while. Remembering his previous day's decision to find out more about the demon who had attacked him, he rose from the bed and strode down the corridor towards the bathroom with a renewed sense of purpose.

After showering and dressing in double-quick time, he scribbled a quick note to his parents to let them know he was going out, then left it on the pillow of his messily made bed for them to find when they came in to wake him. Next, he orbed to a secluded alleyway a couple of blocks away from his intended destination, before making the rest of his way there on foot…

**OOOOOO **

**_In the Attic… _**

Wyatt was pacing. Back and forth. Round and round. Circling the circumference of his magical prison like a predatory animal preparing itself for an upcoming hunt.

He couldn't quite believe he'd gotten himself into this mess. He should have seen it coming and yet he'd walked right into his father's trap, utterly oblivious to the danger. Leo had played him. Pure and Simple. And it pissed him off. Big time.

He was never usually this sloppy, but he hadn't been able to resist the opportunity to taunt his father with his… well, evilness for wont of a better description. Leo had apparently known that, for he had played the grieving father to perfection, right up until the point where he'd thrown a handful of sleep dust in his unsuspecting son's face.

"Sorry son, but you're not the only one who knows how to play the game," he'd said as Wyatt had slipped into a magically induced dream-state.

That had been his mistake, he realised. To dismiss his father as a threat just because he preferred to take the pacifist route. Leo could – and would – do whatever was necessary if the occasion demanded it, especially if his family were involved. Wyatt should have known that and yet, somehow, it had passed him by.

So here he was, stuck in a quandary of his own making and without a hint of an escape plan in sight. His family had cleverly outmanoeuvred him and it riled him something chronic. He was the Ultimate Power; he should have been above this. Alcathan had made the mistake in believing he could control his protégé, but Wyatt had disabused him of that notion as soon as he'd been strong enough to wrestle away the mantle of power. Why had his family succeeded where his demonic mentor had not? It didn't make any sense. It was unfathomable.

A waft of bacon and eggs hit his nostrils. The eggs buttery and soft, the bacon strong, salty and cooked to perfection, just like his Mom used to make it… He stiffened in shock as a familiar presence intruded on his senses, a presence that he hadn't felt in over eight years...

Wheeling round, he came face to face with the mother that he had thought lost to him forever, and it hit him like a ton of bricks. He felt dizzy, confused, his world blurred until the only thing he could focus on were her soft brown eyes, the ones that held a hint of fear - Of him! - But also the immeasurable strength of a mother's unconditional love.

Standing behind Piper and observing his son's reaction on seeing her, Future Leo felt a surge of renewed hope ripple through his body. Wyatt went pale and literally swayed on his feet. His features seemed to blur, and, for a brief instant, Leo caught a glimpse of the son that he might have had if everything hadn't gone awry.

Short, slightly tousled blond hair, blue jeans and a bright red t-shirt, the casual garb of a young man in his mid-twenties. And his face… his face was devoid of that proud, hateful arrogance that twisted his good looks into something grotesque. It was rounder somehow, the features softened by the lack of an ego. The power was still there for certain, but now it was tightly controlled, only part of the man he was rather than the thing that defined him.

It was a picture of a better future, which all too soon was gone, a fleeting promise that evaded his grasp despite his desperate need to hold onto it. The power of love had only been able to cleanse his son's soul for a transitory moment in time. Wyatt was too far gone for it to effect any permanent change. His soul was corrupted, damaged beyond all repair. The only recompense they had was prevention; a cure was forever out of reach.

Drawing on every last reserve of strength within her, Piper made a concerted effort to steel herself against the sight of her son's distress. The look that had swept across Wyatt's features on seeing her was a carbon copy of the one that had decorated Chris's face, when she'd inadvertently reminded him of her death the day that they'd first found out who he was. It was a turbulent mixture of grief, intense trauma and righteous anger at the life that had been stolen away from them when they'd least been expecting it.

Swallowing hard, she stepped forward, bent and placed the tray of food on the ground near the outside perimeter of the crystal cage. "I brought you some breakfast," she said matter-of-factly, her voice sounding amazingly calm despite the roiling emotions inside.

She pushed the tray between two of the white prisms, then quickly rose to her feet and retreated a few steps. Wyatt's blue-eyed gaze dropped from its contemplation of her face to the breakfast before him. He seemed incapable of speech which, given what the others had told her, was definitely out of the ordinary. Nodding slightly, he moved forward and retrieved her offering, then sat down cross-legged on the floor.

"Thanks," he said, his voice low and scratchy. Picking up the fork, he then began to devour the eggs as if he hadn't eaten a proper meal in days – which for all she knew, he hadn't. He looked too thin for a young man of his age, height and build, she decided.

Seeing Piper's resolve waver slightly, Future Leo stepped forward and placed a warning hand on her forearm. While he believed Wyatt's mute shock was genuine, he knew it wouldn't be long before he gathered his shattered wits about him and tried to turn the situation to his advantage. Luckily, the sound of his other self's heavy footsteps on the attic stairs seemed to pull Piper out of her stupor.

"Chris?" she quickly asked, when she saw the worried look in her husband's blue-green eyes.

Present Leo had gone to check on Chris while they'd delivered Wyatt's breakfast to him. He was holding a crumpled piece of paper in his hand, which he offered to his future counterpart as he answered his wife's question. "He's gone out."

Future Leo glanced down at the note. 'Mom, Dads,' it read. 'Gone out for a while. Need to clear my head. Be back later, Love Chris.'

The words were too innocuous and they immediately sparked Future Leo's concern, a feeling his present self apparently shared.

"Where?" Piper demanded.

"He didn't say," Present Leo replied.

"He's with his Chippy," Wyatt's laconic voice cut across their conversation.

"His Chippy?" Present Leo questioned, not fully understanding the reference.

"Companion of the female variety – seems vaguely familiar actually." Wyatt shook his head, seeming to dismiss that thought as soon as it entered his head. "My, my - has little brother forgotten all about the fair Bianca already? And here's me thinking they were the modern day Romeo and Juliet. He was certainly doe-eyed enough over her."

"I think you'd do well not to joke about that," Future Leo said, his tone hard and ripe with censure. "You're damn lucky your brother is still prepared to fight for you after what you did."

Wyatt laughed sardonically. "Lucky? Is that what you call it? And besides, what happened to Bianca was an accident."

"I notice you didn't try very hard to heal her though," his father retorted.

"She betrayed me, let Chris escape," Wyatt said as if that justified his actions. "And… well, my healing power doesn't work too good anymore. Bianca was already too far gone for me to make a difference, so what was the point?"

Future Leo nodded gravely. "Healing is triggered by love, Wyatt, you know that. The less you allow yourself to feel; the weaker your power will get."

"Well, it was never much use to me anyway," Wyatt said dismissively. "I mean if you can't heal yourself, then why bother?"

Leo sighed. He was aware that his son's remark was mainly bravado, but he also knew that it was what Wyatt would coach himself to believe in the end. He deliberately hardened his heart against anything that might make him vulnerable, anything that, in his eyes, made him weak. He remembered a time when Wyatt's healing power was a blazing beacon of light in a sometimes cruel world however. The young witch-whitelighter had never actually brought anyone back from the dead, but every time he healed, it was one of the strongest expressions of love that his father had ever seen.

Take the injury that Chris had received from a darklighter's arrow several months before for instance. His present self had struggled to bring their son back from the brink of death that day, and he knew he himself wouldn't have found it easy, despite the depth of love that he felt for his youngest child.

The Wyatt of old would have healed his brother in an instant though, the effort it took him no more than a mere blink in another whitelighter's eye. His power was made all the more remarkable by the fact that it came from someone so young and lacking in life experience. The potential had been there for all to see, what a force of good he could have become if that potential had been allowed to reach its proper fulfilment.

But, there was no use dwelling on such things. What was done was done. They needed to focus on the here and now, pave the way for a different future. To that end, Future Leo's thoughts returned to his younger son. Wyatt had indicated that his brother had sought out female company - someone who seemed vaguely familiar…

Suddenly it came to him – of course, the girl who Chris had rescued from the demon the other day. Hadn't he said that she was related to his friend, Sarah somehow? What was her name again? Stella? No Stacey. Yes, that was it. Question was, why had Chris gone to visit her in the first place? With everything that was going on, it seemed a little inappropriate to be socialising…

**OOOOOO **

**_Stacey Macklin's apartment, ten minutes earlier… _**

After securing the photograph in the silver frame, Stacey turned it back over and looked down at the picture with a smile. The photo had been taken just yesterday and she looked the epitome of the proud, first-time Aunt, beaming into the camera with her baby niece sitting happily in her lap.

Her brother had called her unexpectedly around lunchtime the previous day, asking if he and little Sarah could come over to her apartment for the afternoon. Some close questioning revealed that he had offered to look after his daughter for the day, while his wife took a well-earned break and went shopping with her two sisters.

Unfortunately, he had then discovered what he had let himself in for. Sarah was generally a happy baby, but she could be quite demanding at times. She pretty much needed constant entertainment when she was awake and didn't sleep much during the day, despite being only a few weeks old.

"I swear those books are a torture device designed to send new parents round the twist," Brian had said when he'd finally managed to settle Sarah off for her afternoon nap. "'At six weeks, your baby should be sleeping for at least three hours in the morning and another three in the afternoon.' Please. As if!"

Stacey chuckled, remembering the sight of her normally very together older sibling, tearing his hair out over the sleeping habits of his teeny-tiny daughter. At seven weeks, Sarah was already the apple of her Daddy's eye and Stacey suspected it would only get worse as she got older. She'd have to remember to ask Chris about that when she saw him next. She bet Sarah had her Dad wrapped around her little finger in his time.

She'd sensibly refrained from telling her brother about her encounter with her niece's future friend. For one, Chris hadn't given her permission to reveal his true identity to anyone and secondly, Brian would more than likely end up giving the poor guy the third degree for his trouble, something she thought Chris could probably do without right now. Not that she actually knew very much about his agenda of course. He had time-travelled from twenty years in the future and that was all the information she was party to. She didn't have the faintest clue why he was here, or for what purpose.

Chris didn't strike her as someone who would mess with the laws of time just for the fun of it however. He was intense, serious and completely focused on whatever he had come here to do. All of which pointed to the gravity of the circumstances that had led to his mysterious mission to the past, rather than the frivolousness of them.

There was a knock on her door then and she went to answer it. "Chris! Hi!" she said in surprise. "I was just thinking about you."

"Should I be worried?" he quipped with a glimmer of a smile. He looked ill, she noticed, his face pale and drawn and his brow furrowed in anxiety.

"No," she said, ushering him inside and closing the door. "My brother brought my niece over for a visit yesterday and I was just framing that." She showed him the photograph.

Chris took it from her and studied it carefully. A wistful expression crossed his face as he took in his friend's face. It was clearly Sarah. Even as a baby, she bore hints of the woman she would become in twenty years of time.

"Are you okay?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah…" Chris stopped and deliberately cleared his throat. "I just miss her, I guess. She's so easy to talk to and I…"

"Could really use someone to talk to right now?" Stacey finished for him when he trailed off.

Chris nodded. "Yeah," he said heavily and she could hear the weary tension in his voice.

"So I'm listening," Stacey said, seating herself on the sofa and patting the cushion beside her in invitation.

Sitting down next to her, Chris kept his gaze on his feet for a long moment of contemplation before finally lifting his head and looking her directly in the eye. She could see that he was debating whether to entrust her with his confidence or not, and she smiled encouragingly at him, hoping to alleviate his disquiet. He sighed, opened and closed his mouth a few times, and then eventually spoke in a slow and deliberate tone.

"My… my brother is here," he said, the simple words rife with hidden meaning.

"Your brother?" Stacey questioned. "As in Wyatt? From the Future?"

Chris nodded in the affirmative, but kept his gaze downcast, making it difficult for her to read his mood.

"But… umm, isn't that a good thing?" she asked hesitantly.

Chris let out a short, barking laugh. "Yeah, you'd think so, wouldn't you?" he said bitterly.

"But it isn't?"

Chris shook his head. "No."

"Why?"

Well, that was it. The million-dollar question. Chris cast his companion a searching, sidelong glance, weighed up his options for one final time, and then made the decision fling open the doors to the room that held the deepest secrets of his soul...

Three-quarters of an hour later, Stacey sat back against the sofa cushions, stunned by what he'd told her. "Wow!" she said, fully aware of the level of understatement in that single word.

"Yeah," Chris agreed, his voice hoarse from over-use.

He hadn't realised how much he'd needed talk, to let everything out. It had been immensely cathartic to unburden himself, to reveal the full extent of his emotional turmoil to someone outside of the close sphere of his family. It was like releasing a pressure valve inside him, one that had been threatening to blow up like a barrage balloon if he had continued to do nothing about it.

Because, as much as he loved his family, they were too close to the situation for him to be completely honest with them. He didn't want to hurt them with his ambiguous feelings for his brother, worry them with his lack of confidence in his ability to defeat Alcathan, frighten them with the cold, sure fingers of death that he could somehow feel running like ice-water through his veins…

"So this Alcathan? He's like the Ultimate Big Bad?"

Chris looked up as Stacey's voice cut through his reverie. He nodded. "Yes."

"He murdered your Mom, turned your brother evil, and basically sent the whole world to hell, is that what you're telling me?"

He nodded again.

"And now you're going to try to kill him?" she went on. "Using Wyatt's powers?"

"Try being the operative word," Chris remarked dryly.

"Wow!" Stacey said for the second time.

Uncomfortable after sitting in the same position for so long, Chris shifted in his seat and then winced at the sharp flare of agony that shot across his stomach as a result. Despite his best efforts, he was unable to stifle his gasp of pain and Stacey glanced over at him in concern.

"Are you all right?" she asked.

Leaning forward, she placed a gentle hand on his forearm and drew in a shocked breath as she registered his altered appearance. His skin was like ice to the touch and what little colour had been in his cheeks to begin with had drained away to almost nothing, leaving him looking like a pale imitation of a ghost.

"I'm fine," Chris assured her a little too quickly.

"No, you're not," she immediately contradicted.

"Damn! Busted," Chris returned with a rather forced smile before his gaze slid away from hers to focus on the opposite wall.

"Chris?" Stacey prompted, lightly squeezing his arm in encouragement.

Chris opened his mouth to fill her in on his predicament, but the words stuck in his throat. It was as if there was a barrier there, preventing him from revealing the truth about what ailed him. He struggled with it, but it was no use. He decided to show her, only his hands wouldn't move. Despite his brain's prompting, they simply would not respond to its command and he let out a frustrated breath at his inability to articulate what his mind was crying out to tell her.

Stacey however, had caught the downward flicker of his eyes and reached out to pull up his t-shirt, remembering the way he'd doubled-over in pain earlier.

"Jesus Christ!" she swore, the vehement exclamation hissing out from between her teeth. "What the hell happened?" And then her eyes widened as she realised. "The demon the other day – the one who attacked me – he slashed you with that athame."

Chris nodded.

"But your Dad healed you."

"I know," Chris said, finding his tongue had unstuck itself from the roof of his mouth at last. "It came back."

Stacey stared at him and then blinked. "Why couldn't you tell me?" she asked with a puzzled frown.

"I don't know – the words, they just wouldn't come out."

"But you're telling me now…" Stacey pointed out.

"Maybe once you discover the truth it breaks the interdiction," Chris said.

Stacey nodded. It made sense, she supposed. "So what do you think it is?" she asked.

Chris touched the oozing wound with his fingertips. "I don't know. That's why I'm here. I was hoping you might be able to remember something about the demon, give me something to go on."

"But you must have some idea."

Chris sighed. "I think that maybe it's a curse of some kind."

"A fatal one?" Stacey asked, a sliver of fear curling in her belly.

"Well, there wouldn't be much point otherwise, would there?" Chris responded, an edge of sarcasm to his tone.

"So if the spell stops you from telling anybody, your family don't know about this either, do they?"

"No, they don't, and you can't tell them, Stacey."

"Of course I have to tell them! Jesus Chris, look at you, you look like death warmed up and then some."

"NO!" Chris's tone was harsh. "You can't tell them. You don't understand."

"So explain it to me then!" Stacey shot back.

"If they know, they won't let me go up against Alcathan. They'll try to find a way to save me first."

"And this is a bad thing?" Stacey was aghast at his apparent lack of concern for his own well-being.

"If it means I miss my chance at destroying Alcathan, then yes, it is. One thing I've learned over the years, Stacey – timing is everything where prophecies are concerned. Delay their fulfilment and you're toast with a capital 'T'. I told you what it's like in my future. Do you want Sarah to live in a world like that?"

"Of course not. But…"

"But nothing! This is what I came here to do. Nothing matters more than that."

"Not even your own life?" Stacey demanded in horror. She could already see the answer shining in his emerald-green eyes and it shocked her to the core.

"Nothing," he repeated, confirming her suspicions with the kind of steely conviction that sent a shiver of dread trickling down her spine. "Absolutely nothing…"

**_To be continued… _**


	32. Secrets and Lies

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! Sorry that this is a week later than promised in my review replies. Real life interference as usual! Work has been a total nightmare and I simply haven't had the time to finish off and post this chapter until now.

The first two scenes in this part are basically continuations of the last two in the previous chapter btw. So, if you have time, it might be worth going back to reread them. If you don't, then I've put in a recap of the Chris/Stacey scene at the start of this chapter to set things into context.

When we last left them, our protagonists were poised as follows: Chris had gone to visit Stacey to see if he could find out more about the demons that had attacked him with the cursed athame, and had ended up confessing to her all about his past and the demon attack. Meanwhile, Piper and the two Leos had gone to deliver Future Wyatt's breakfast to him up in the Manor attic…

**OOOOOO**

_**Last time…**_

Chris sighed. "I think that maybe it's a curse of some kind."

"A fatal one?" Stacey asked, a sliver of fear curling in her belly.

"Well, there wouldn't be much point otherwise, would there?" Chris responded, an edge of sarcasm to his tone.

"So if the spell stops you from telling anybody, your family don't know about this either, do they?"

"No, they don't, and you can't tell them, Stacey."

"Of course I have to tell them! Jesus Chris, look at you, you look like death warmed up and then some."

"NO!" Chris's tone was harsh. "You can't tell them. You don't understand."

"So explain it to me then!" Stacey shot back.

"If they know, they won't let me go up against Alcathan. They'll try to find a way to save me first."

"And this is a bad thing?" Stacey was aghast at his apparent lack of concern for his own well-being.

"If it means I miss my chance at destroying Alcathan, then yes, it is. One thing I've learned over the years, Stacey – timing is everything where prophecies are concerned. Delay their fulfilment and you're toast with a capital 'T'. I told you what it's like in my future. Do you want Sarah to live in a world like that?"

"Of course not. But…"

"But nothing! This is what I came here to do. Nothing matters more than that."

"Not even your own life?" Stacey demanded in horror. She could already see the answer shining in his emerald-green eyes and it shocked her to the core.

"Nothing," he repeated, confirming her suspicions with the kind of steely conviction that sent a shiver of dread trickling down her spine. "Absolutely nothing…"

**OOOOOO**

**Chapter 32**

Stacey lifted her hands to cover her mouth, her eyes full of unshed tears. "I can't," she said shakily. "What you're asking… it would be like signing your death warrant, Chris, and I just can't do that."

"Sorry to disabuse you, Stacey," Chris replied, his tone hard. "But I'm not exactly asking."

"You can't stop me from telling them!"

Chris laughed, a cold, wintry sound. "No?" he said. "With my own powers I could stop you, believe me. But with Wyatt's…" He left the statement hanging ominously between them.

"You wouldn't!" she accused, shocked by his hard-nosed attitude.

"I've done worse," he told her and something in his tone made her believe him.

"But you hate yourself for it," she countered shrewdly. The tormented expression shadowing his green eyes clued her in to this salient fact.

Chris shrugged. "Maybe, but it's what I had to do. Sometimes life forces you into making hard choices."

"Only the strong survive, huh?"

"If you want to put it that way."

Stacey regarded him steadily, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach. He meant what he said, she realised. He would take action if she went against his wishes and tried to divulge his secret to his family. There was only one thing for it then…

"What can I do to help?" she asked, albeit with a certain amount of reluctance.

"You won't say anything?" Chris demanded, his eyes intent on hers.

Stacey boldly met his gaze. "I think you're crazy not to tell them," she said, "But no, I won't say anything, not if you don't want me to."

'_At least not yet,'_ she added privately to herself. She would not have his death on her conscience, no matter how much of a martyr he was determined to be.

Chris let out a relieved breath and his brittle attitude softened somewhat. "I need you to tell me everything you can remember about the demons that attacked you," he said, "It doesn't matter how small or insignificant it might seem; anything could help to track them down."

Stacey nodded and got to her feet. "That needs cleaning up first," she said, waving her hand at the infected wound on his stomach.

"It's all right…," Chris started to say, but she abruptly cut him off.

"No way, buddy," she told him sternly. "You're pushing your luck threatening me as it is. If you're going to make me responsible for this, then you can at least allow me to play nursemaid."

Not giving him a chance to object, she turned towards the kitchen in search of her first-aid kit. Chris settled back against the sofa cushions with a weary sigh. He was running on pure adrenaline he knew, but it was a potent motivator. Despite the physical weakness pervading his body, he still felt perfectly in control. His determination to succeed was as strong as ever. It was almost as if Wyatt's power was holding him together somehow, papering over the cracks that the infiltrating curse was single-mindedly trying to open up inside of him.

A couple of minutes later, Stacey returned, carrying a bowl of warm water that smelled strongly of antiseptic in one hand, and a red and white plastic box in the other. She set both items down on the coffee table and knelt down on the floor at his feet.

"This is going to hurt like hell, isn't it?" Chris said resignedly, as she took a sterile cloth out of the first-aid box and dipped it gingerly into the bowl of liquid.

Stacey's answer was short and to the point. "Probably," she said, indicating that he should lift up his t-shirt.

Chris did as instructed and then sucked in a sharp breath as she began to dab at the oozing wound with the damp cloth. She was being non too gentle about it and he could sense the underlying tension in her. He had put her in a difficult position, he knew. He didn't like doing it, but it was necessary. Nothing could be allowed to get in the way of his goal. He'd come way too far to be thwarted when he was so close to the finish line, deadly curse or not.

Still, she was his friend and he wasn't so hard-hearted that he didn't feel guilty about what he'd been forced to do. "Look, I'm sorry okay?" he apologised softly, "It's just that nothing is more important to me than this. If you lived in my world, you'd understand."

Stacey didn't trust herself to answer that, so she concentrated on what she was doing and finished off bathing his injury with the antiseptic solution. Covering the wound with a sterile bandage, she fixed it in place with a patchwork of steri-strips, and then sat back on her heels when the job was completed to her satisfaction.

"There," she said as Chris tugged his t-shirt down and sat up a little straighter.

"Thanks," he muttered, and then gazed at her expectantly. "So – the demons?" he prompted.

Stacey felt a small smile tug at the corners of her lips despite her inner disquiet. "You're not easily distracted, are you?" she remarked teasingly. "Tell me - do you ever think about anything other than demon-hunting?"

"Are you suggesting that I've got a one track mind?" Chris asked playfully; glad that the tension between them had dissipated somewhat.

Stacey laughed. "Absolutely," she joked, "Just not in the same sense as most other guys I know."

Chris grinned. "Oh, I play that track too," he admitted candidly, "But what with Bianca and everything…." He trailed off and sighed sadly, his gaze sliding away from hers. "Well, you know…"

Stacey reached out and squeezed his hand sympathetically. "Yeah, I know," she said, before sensitively changing the subject. "So - these demons? I could draw you a picture of the ringleader if that'd help," she offered.

"Don't worry, I was an Art major in college," she laughed off the sceptical look that Chris cast in her direction.

Rising to her feet, she went to retrieve her sketchbook and a pack of coloured pencils from a drawer, and then sat down at the small table near the window. While she worked on the drawing, Chris wandered idly about the lounge, absorbing the ambiance of her home.

"Did you do these?" he asked, waving his hand at the eclectic collection of artworks that adorned the magnolia-painted walls.

Stacey briefly looked up from her sketchpad. "Some," she said, "Not all though."

"This one?" he asked, indicating a canvas that had particularly caught his eye.

It was a painting of the Golden Gate Bridge at sunrise, done in an Impressionist style, the outline of the magnificent structure blurred against the dawn sky, the colours a vibrant mix of reds, golds and various shades of grey and blue.

Stacey nodded. "That's my masterpiece - I was totally in the zone when I painted that."

"It's beautiful," Chris said. "I'm used to seeing it from a different perspective, but it captures the essence of the place perfectly."

"What do you mean 'a different perspective'?" Stacey asked curiously.

"From the top looking across," Chris explained. "I orb up there sometimes when I need some head space."

"Wow! I would love to paint the Bridge from that angle. It'd be something different, out of the ordinary, you know?"

"Maybe when all this is over, I'll be able to take you up there so you can fulfil your wish," Chris said, sitting across the table from her.

Stacey nodded. "I hope so," she said. "So – how's that?"

She turned the pad around to show him the picture that she'd drawn. Chris's eyes widened. The drawing was so life-like; the demon literally seemed to jump out the page at him. He whistled in appreciation.

"I think I'm impressed," he remarked.

Stacey smiled at the compliment. "Thanks for the endorsement," she said, "But is it going to help any?"

Chris nodded. "Should do – I just need to recheck what it says about them in the Book…" He faltered then, a look of consternation crossing his face.

"What is it?" Stacey asked.

"Well, the Book is in the Attic… along with Wyatt…"

"Who you'd rather avoid right now," Stacey correctly deduced.

Chris nodded. "Well that -plus he can't keep his big mouth shut to save his life. I can guarantee that he'll make Mom and Dad start asking awkward questions."

"And that's a bad thing?" Stacey asked lightly, her tone full of underlying censure.

Chris looked at her in protest. "Didn't we just have this discussion?" he said rather plaintively.

"Discussion? Oh, is _that _what that was? Funny, I thought it was more you dictating to me how it was going to be, and me having no choice in the matter."

Chris shook his head in exasperation. "You're far too like your niece for your own good, you know that?" he complained.

"Or she's too like me," Stacey pointed out, pedantically correcting his back-to-front opinion, "And what's that supposed to mean anyway?"

"Sarah is the most bluntly honest person I know," Chris explained.

"She isn't afraid to tell you when you're acting like a total idiot, you mean?"

Chris's lips curled up into a self-deprecating smile at the acerbic observation. "No, she isn't."

"Well, good for her," Stacey said with a nod of approval.

"She would understand why I have to do this though," Chris hastened to add. "She knows how important saving Wyatt is to the Future."

Stacey regarded him thoughtfully. "Maybe she does," she said, "But I think if she were here, she would only go along with things up to a point. She wouldn't let you sacrifice yourself unnecessarily, not if she's a true friend."

Chris sighed, knowing that this was probably true. "I just… I need to keep the momentum going, you know? I'm afraid that if I slow down, the opportunity is going to slip through my fingers. And what if this is the only chance I get to make it right and I don't take it? Everything I've fought so hard to achieve will be for nothing. My brother will still be lost, my fiancée dead, and the future will still be exactly the same – worse than a living hell."

Stacey had to admit that Chris could be very persuasive when he wanted to be. Still, she was more than a match for him in the stubbornness stakes. If she went against him now, he would prevent her from doing so, but she didn't think he'd be quite so resolute when the encroaching curse started to take a real hold of him…

"Look, I've already agreed that I won't say anything for now," she told him in a resigned tone, "But let's get one thing straight, Chris - I won't stand by and let you die. That's not who I am and never will be."

Chris had to admire her fortitude. She didn't give up easily this girl, much like her niece in fact. It was something that he'd always liked about Sarah, her stubborn belief that anything was possible if you set your mind to it. She had been the one who had persuaded him that he could do this. That he could come back to the past, face his long-lost family and not completely fall apart at the seams.

Bianca hadn't really understood his apprehension, even though she knew what had happened when his mother had died. She'd not been there in person so she didn't understand how close to the edge he'd been. Sarah did though and was therefore fully aware of how emotionally difficult he would find it.

"You just have to keep in mind what you're fighting for, Chris," she'd said to him a few days before he had left for the past. "Remember the great family that you used to have, that you could have again. Think about the kind of life that you and Bianca could share if things were different…"

"And then of course, there's me," she added with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, "And the difference it would make to my life. I mean that's got to be the biggest motivator of all, hasn't it?"

Chris had laughed at that, something that was remarkably rare in those dark days. "It's my greatest inspiration," he'd quipped back with a smile.

He hadn't been entirely joking. He was doing this for Sarah as much as anyone else. She was his best friend, had stuck by him through thick and thin, and he wanted to make her life better too. It wasn't just about himself, Bianca and his family. It was about so much more that that. That's why he was absolutely determined not to fail, why he was prepared to take risks that others might look upon as reckless.

He returned his gaze to Stacey, who was watching him expectantly, curious as to the thoughts running through his head. He forced himself to smile at her and she smiled tentatively back.

"Okay, you've got yourself a deal," he said. "You can turn me in if I start to lose my faculties. But not before, okay?"

"Okay," Stacey agreed, glad that they'd reached a satisfactory compromise. Earlier, he'd bulldozered her into a situation that she wasn't happy with, but she could live with this. At least there was a get-out clause now.

"So, is there some other book that we could look up the demons in?" she asked, returning to their previous topic of conversation.

Chris nodded. "Several," he said, "But the Book of Shadows is always the best place to start. I could summon it to me, I suppose, but Mom and the Aunts would probably have a major freak out if it just disappeared like that."

Stacey rolled her eyes. "So call them and tell them that you're borrowing it for a while then," she said.

"Well, I would …" Chris began, "If I knew the number," he finished rather sheepishly.

"What?" Stacey was incredulous. "How can you not know? You live there, don't you?"

"Well yes, but a whitelighter doesn't have any real need for a phone. I can orb to whomever I want to speak to, you see. And, if they need me in return, they can just holler for me and I can be there in an instant."

"I don't think I've ever known anyone who didn't know their own phone number before," Stacey remarked with a laugh. "Please tell me you at least know the address."

Chris smiled. "Yes that I do know."

"Good, then write it down for me," Stacey instructed, tearing off a piece of paper from her sketchbook and handing it to him. "We can find out the number from directory enquiries."

A few minutes later, she'd obtained what they needed, but Chris took the phone out of her hand before she could punch in the number on the handset.

"Not yet," he said. "I've got to work out how to summon the Book first. I know my family. I need to present them with a fait accompli if I want to avoid having to play twenty questions."

He sat down at the table again and began to scribble on a fresh sheet of paper, his brow furrowed in concentration. Stacey sat down alongside him, watching as he composed a suitable summoning spell.

"I thought the Book of Shadows was immune to this sort of thing," she said. "Doesn't it protect itself from being magically stolen in this way?"

Chris nodded. "Yes, but I'm not stealing it. I'm a Halliwell. It effectively belongs to me."

"Oh. Right. I guess I didn't think of that."

"Obviously," Chris remarked with a sidelong grin. "Okay, this should do the trick," he said, setting the pencil and paper aside. Holding out his hands, palms facing upwards, he began to recite the incantation he'd written.

"In this day and in this hour,

I call upon the ancient power.

I, a descendant of the Power of Three,

Hereby summon the Book of Shadows to me."

Nothing happened for a tantalisingly long moment, and then the ancient Book emerged out of a swirl of white stars into Chris's outstretched hands. Clearly pleased with his accomplishment, the dark-haired witch-whitelighter lowered the heavy tome to the table, and then picked up the phone to call home…

**OOOOOO**

**_Meanwhile, back at the Manor…_**

"You'd think he'd be more focused on the job, wouldn't you?" Wyatt remarked as he lifted another forkful of eggs to his mouth. "Instead he's out charming the first pretty girl to cross his path."

Future Leo ignored his son's attempt to stir the situation. Chris had obviously sought out Stacey's company for a reason, whether the motivation was magical or emotional was frankly beside the point. What concerned him more was that his son had felt the need to go to someone outside the family for advice. What was it that he couldn't confide in them? Leo knew the weight of expectation was something that must lie heavy on Chris's shoulders, but he had seemed to be handling it okay despite that.

He looked again at the note that their son had left. It didn't say much of anything and that was the worry. He got the distinct impression that Chris was being deliberately evasive, and of course, that made him immediately want to know why.

Reading the expression on his father's – and to a lesser extent his past parents' faces, Wyatt decided to push his advantage. If he focused their attention on Chris, it would give him some time to come up with a suitable escape plan. Question was, were his parents just being their normal, annoyingly overly protective selves? Or was Chris actually hiding something from them? He hadn't had enough contact with his brother to deduce that, something that he would have to remedy he decided. In the meantime though -

"Of course maybe it's more than that. Maybe there's something he's not telling you," he suggested slyly.

"What do you mean?" Piper asked sharply, immediately taking the bait, much to Wyatt's gleeful delight.

"He doesn't mean anything," Future Leo quickly interrupted. "Just ignore him, Piper."

"So why are you worried then?" Wyatt taunted. "And don't say you're not, I can see it in your face. We all know the only reason Chris wouldn't tell you where he was going is if he didn't want you to know. Doesn't bode well, does it?"

Future Leo didn't know how to respond that. Despite knowing that Wyatt was only trying to goad them, the plain fact of the matter was that he was right. Something was going on with Chris, and he couldn't believe it had taken him this long to see it. Maybe because he was unconsciously trying to keep his distance, knowing how hard it would be to say goodbye again. That was no excuse though. He should have been more alert to the signs, they all should have.

The musical sound of magic at work interrupted his guilty thoughts then, and Piper let out a gasp of horror in response. Spinning around, he was just in time to see the Book of Shadows vanish from its wooden perch.

"Oops!" Wyatt commented mockingly, picking up the unmistakable echo of his brother's magic in the air but choosing not to mention it. "Now that's rather inconvenient, isn't it?"

"PHOEBE! PAIGE!" Piper yelled loudly for her sisters, as the trilling sound of the phone reverberated upwards from downstairs.

"What is it?" Paige demanded, emerging out of a cloud of blue orb lights a few moments later.

"The Book," Piper said, pointing at the empty lectern.

Paige's eyes widened. "How?" she asked.

"Well, I don't know," Piper responded irritably. "One minute it was there and the next 'poof'"

"Do you think that Alcathan is behind this?" Paige asked.

"Why should he be?" Piper replied. "He didn't go after it before, did he?"

She looked over at the future version of her husband for confirmation and Future Leo shook his head.

"Not that I remember, no."

"But what if…?" Paige began, but Present Leo quickly cut her off.

"I think we should discuss this some place else, don't you?" he said, throwing a warning look at Wyatt who was observing the exchange with interest.

"Oh, don't mind me;" he said airily, "You go right ahead. Just pretend I'm not here."

The sound of clomping footsteps could be heard coming up the attic stairs then, and a couple of moments later, Phoebe practically fell into the room.

"Okay guys, panic over," she burst out breathlessly. "That was Chris on the phone. He's the one who summoned the Book."

"Why didn't he just orb in to look at it?" Paige asked.

Phoebe flickered a telling glance at Wyatt. "Umm, he said something about wanting to read in peace."

"Did he tell you what he wanted it for?" Future Leo asked.

His sister-in-law shook her head. "No."

"Well, didn't you ask him?" Piper demanded.

"He didn't exactly give me much of a chance to," Phoebe protested defensively. "He hung up the first opportunity he got."

Piper looked worriedly between the two versions of her husband. "Why do I not like the sound of that?" she said.

"Because you're trusting your instincts," Future Leo replied. "And they're telling you that something doesn't quite add up."

"Okay, so one of you needs to go find him and bring him home," Piper decided.

Present Leo shook his head. "We can't do that, Piper."

"Why not?"

"Because he's not a child and we agreed that we wouldn't treat him like one."

"And he agreed that he wouldn't go off without letting us know where he was," Piper quickly retorted.

"And that's something we'll need to discuss when he returns home," her husband replied, "But for now, we wait."

Piper looked at Future Leo. "You don't agree with that, do you?"

The Elder hesitated for a moment, before he reluctantly had to admit that his past self was right. Chris wasn't a child anymore. He was twenty-two years old and his decisions were his own. Some straight talking was needed, but dragging him back home like an errant teenager was not the way to go about it. It would only make Chris more defensive. Leo knew how stubborn his son could be. Back him into a corner and he came out fighting.

"He can take care of himself, Piper," he soothingly told his agitated wife. "I do think there's something that he's not telling us, but I don't think he'd walk into a situation he can't handle without back-up. If he's gone out demon hunting, it's probably just to blow off some steam. He's in no immediate danger, so let's wait until he gets home, shall we?"

While his parents debated the best way to deal with his elusive brother, Wyatt absently reached out with his thoughts and was surprised to find Chris's mind open to him again.

'_My, my, you have put the cat among the pigeons, haven't you little brother?'_ he remarked aggravatingly, projecting his comment across the city towards his unsuspecting sibling.

'_Stay out of my head, Wyatt,' _was Chris's quick-fire response.

'_Why? When it's so much fun talking to you. Tell me - are you really that scared to face me? Or is that just a convenient excuse for the folks?'_

'_Well, wouldn't you like to know?' _

The rather telling pause before this glib reply sparked Wyatt's curiosity, and he probed a bit further into his brother's mind, picking up the vague sense that something was amiss.

'_What is wrong with you?'_ he threw out telepathically before he could stop himself.

'_Goodbye Wyatt' _

With that firm statement, Chris wrenched his mind free and closed all channels of communication between them. Swearing inwardly, Wyatt tried to re-establish the telepathic link, but found it blocked. His brother was deliberately shutting him out, which only meant one thing. He'd gotten too close. There was something Chris didn't want him – or anyone else for that matter – to know. Well, well, well – now wasn't that interesting?

"What did he say?"

Wyatt looked up from his internal musings to find his father's eyes upon him. Future Leo had spotted the blank look on his son's face and had quickly guessed what it meant.

"Well, I'd repeat it," Wyatt said offhandedly. "But then Mom'd probably have to ground him for the next ten years or more. Shocking language - and when you brought us up so well too."

Piper stared at her son, a finger of distaste curling in her stomach, then something inside of her seemed to snap and she turned away with a sob. It was all too much. She had to get out of here.

"Piper! Wait!"

Phoebe and Paige quickly chased after their fleeing sister. She turned to face them as they reached the bottom of the attic staircase, her eyes full of tears. "What did I do wrong?" she demanded shakily. "Why is he so… so _hateful_?"

"This is not your fault, Piper," Phoebe said, taking her sister's hands in hers.

"I was supposed to protect him, Phoebe. I was supposed to protect both of them."

"We all were," Paige said, "And we did the best we could with the knowledge we had."

"But it wasn't enough!"

"I know, but this time round it will be."

"You're sure of that, are you?"

"As sure as I can be. It's like Leo always says. We have to trust in who we are. We have to trust in who Chris is."

"But Chris is…"

"His mother's son if ever there was one."

The three women turned around to see Present Leo making his way down the attic steps towards them. "He can do this, Piper," he said, slipping a comforting arm around his wife's slender shoulders as he joined them. "And we're going to be with him every step of the way."

"If he lets us," Piper said tearfully, wearily resting her head against his shoulder.

"He doesn't have much of a choice," Phoebe said, giving her sister's fingers an encouraging squeeze. "He can be as secretive and evasive as he likes, but if there's one thing we know how to be, it's obnoxiously overbearing. I mean, we learned from the best, didn't we?"

Piper gave her sister a watery smile. "I guess we could always set Grams on him," she said, her mood brightening a little.

"Or Prue," Leo put in thoughtfully. "Chris has a special connection with her, doesn't he? Maybe it'd do him good to have her around for a while."

"She did say to call on her if we needed anything," Phoebe reminded her sister.

Piper felt a sense of relief run through her. It was the lives and happiness of both her children on the line here, and with her blooming pregnancy to contend with, as well as the need to fulfil her duties as the eldest Charmed One, it was all a bit too much to handle. If Prue were here, she would have one less thing to worry about at least. Her sister wouldn't be able to resist taking charge.

"Okay," she said. "Let's summon her."

Back up in the attic, Future Leo faced down his eldest son. "Are you satisfied now? Did that make you feel good?" he asked acidly.

Wyatt pushed away the slight sense of guilt he felt at his mother's tears and glared defiantly at his father. "You're keeping me prisoner here against my will and _I'm_ supposed to feel guilty?"

Leo sighed. "Whatever else you've become, Wyatt, she's still your mother and she still loves you, even if you don't deserve it."

"Good thing you're not so sentimental then, isn't it?" Wyatt shot back.

"But that's the thing, Wyatt, I am that sentimental. Love is the hardest thing to let go of - as I think you well know."

Wyatt let out a short laugh. "In your dreams, Dad," he said.

Leo looked back at him knowingly. "No son, in yours," he said calmly, and then turned to leave.

Wyatt watched him go, cursing himself for letting the conversation get to him. Why was it that his father knew how to resurrect all the feelings that he was trying so hard to ignore? Seeing his Mom again had been painful, there was no denying that, but that was just history. And, as for Chris, even though their brotherly connection had never been fully broken, he didn't care in slightest. Honestly, he didn't…

**OOOOOO**

_**Stacey's apartment…**_

"Are you okay?" Stacey asked her companion.

They'd been re-reading the entry in the Book of Shadows when Chris had suddenly stiffened, his focus turning inward. A minute or so later, he emerged from his semi-trance looking shaken and agitated.

"I'm fine," he said. "It's just Wyatt…"

"What about him?"

"Umm, we have this kind of psychic connection," Chris explained, "And I forgot to block it off."

"So you were talking to him inside your head just now?"

Chris nodded. "I shouldn't let him get to me so much," he berated himself.

"He's your brother, Chris. And you're only human, you know…"

"Half witch, half whitelighter actually," he corrected.

Stacey punched him lightly on the arm. "You know what I mean."

"Yeah, I know," Chris said, and then returned his attention to the matter at hand. "Okay, I think the best way to draw the demons out is to challenge them to a rematch."

"Huh?" Stacey asked, confused.

"Witch-baiting is a sport to them, remember? So, if I offer myself as their next target…"

"Isn't that kind of dangerous?"

Chris shook his head. "No, not really. I mean it's not without risk, of course, but they're lower level demons so I think I can handle them all right. With Wyatt's powers, it should be a breeze. The risk is negligible, I assure you."

Stacey smiled. Those words coming out of anyone else's mouth would have sounded supremely arrogant, but Chris was so calmly matter-of-a-fact about it all that he avoided that. Sometimes she forgot that she was in the presence of a member of one of the most powerful Wicca families in the world. Chris was just so normal and down-to-earth that she didn't feel intimidated by it. Okay, so he was a little highly strung at times, but that was simply part of who he was, a consequence of the difficult life that he'd had to endure.

"Before that though," Chris went on, oblivious. "We need to make some vanquishing potion."

Stacey frowned. "But I thought you just wanted to find out who was behind the attack?"

"I do, but I need some leverage. I don't think they're going to give up the information willingly, do you?"

"I guess not."

"So umm, the potion…" Chris stopped, suddenly realising that he'd never bothered to found out whether she was a practising witch or not.

Stacey smiled, guessing his thoughts. "My supplies are in the kitchen – come on."

Picking up the Book of Shadows, Chris followed her through into the other room. He felt perfectly well again now. The curse's effects seemed to hit him in rolling waves. Waves that were admittedly growing closer together, but that still allowed him to function more or less normally in between times.

"So, do you have any active powers?" he asked, as Stacey placed a large metal pot on the stove and retrieved the potion ingredients that they needed from her magical supplies cupboard.

Stacey nodded and demonstrated for him. Turning on the gas, she held her hand out over the ring and set it alight without the aid of a match. The flames flared high as the gas ignited and Chris had to jump back to avoid getting his eyebrows singed.

"One problem though," Stacey said, taking her hand away and pouring a jug full of water into the pot. "My aim is seriously bad, so it's only safe to use when I'm sure I'm not going to set fire to anything I shouldn't. Why Mother Nature chose to give me a power like flame-throwing when my spatial awareness is like zero, I'll never know."

"Maybe it'll get better with time," Chris suggested, tossing a handful of mandrake root and various herbs into the pot in front of him.

"Mmm, somehow I don't think so," Stacey said, handing him a jar of Mezzmai powder as she stirred the mixture with a wooden spoon. "I'm the girl, who has hit more cars reversing into parking spaces than anyone else in San Francisco. Not to mention the time when I meant to throw a glass of water over my jerk of an ex-boyfriend and ended up hitting the innocent waitress full in the face instead."

Chris laughed as he added two heaped spoonfuls of the vivid pink powder to the potion mixture, prompting it to hiss, spit and give off a cloud of noxious fumes.

Stacey wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Why do they always have to smell so bad?" she complained. "You'd think someone would invent a sweet-smelling potion every once in a while, wouldn't you?"

"I think vanquishing potions are supposed to be toxic," Chris said. "They wouldn't work otherwise, would they?"

"I suppose not," Stacey agreed, pulling the Book towards her to read the rest of the instructions. "Add a spoonful of pimpernel seeds, boil vigorously, then remove from the heat and add two to three drops of Warren blood." She broke off and frowned. "What's that? I don't think I have any."

"Don't worry, I've got several pints of the stuff running through my veins," Chris told her.

"Melinda Warren, ultimate matriarch of the Charmed Line," he explained off her confused look. "I guess whichever of my ancestors invented this potion had to make do with whatever they had to hand at the time - namely their own blood."

"Eew!" Stacey proclaimed with a shudder.

Smiling at her exaggerated disgust, Chris added the pimpernel seeds to the potion and turned up the flames until the mixture was bubbling furiously. About thirty seconds later, he removed the pot from the stove and shut off the gas. He then took out his penknife and calmly nicked the pad of his thumb with the blade, letting several drops of the resultant blood drip into the cooling liquid. The murky brown mixture immediately turned a deep, royal blue colour, indicating the potion was complete.

"Give it a few moments to cool off and then we're done," he said.

Stacey nodded as unscrewed the caps from several glass vials, and set them on the countertop ready to be filled. "So, where to next?" she asked.

"A demon bar I know."

"Okay – so umm, do they have a dress-code?"

"Yeah – unwashed," Chris joked, "But you're not coming with me so you don't need to worry about that."

"Uh-huh, forget that - I'm not letting you go on your own. What if you have another funny turn?"

"Stacey…"

"You asked for my help, Chris. So you're getting it, whether you want it or not. Like it or lump it, buster."

Chris let out his breath from between his teeth, knowing there was no point in arguing with her. "All right," he said, "But stick close by me, okay? Don't go wandering off on your own. Some pretty unsavoury types frequent that place and you don't want to get caught in the middle."

An hour later and Stacey's initial confidence was rapidly deserting her. The demon bar had been the lowest dive she'd ever had the misfortune to visit. The licentious stares of many of the unwholesome clientele had made her skin crawl. Leaning casually against the counter, Chris had handed her demon portrait to the barman and pretty much offered the two of them up on a platter, inviting their attackers to take another shot at finishing what they'd started.

"So, do you reckon they're gonna show?" she asked Chris, as she gazed nervously around the abandoned warehouse that he'd chosen for the meet. She had two bottles of vanquishing potion clutched tightly in her clenched fists.

Chris nodded. "The demon grapevine's pretty effective, especially where something like this is concerned. It'll be like a red flag to a bull. They're not gonna be able to resist the challenge."

Fifteen minutes on and she discovered he was right. About twelve demons shimmered in on mass, encircling them like bears around a honey pot - big, ferocious Grizzly bears. Stacey instinctively stepped in closer to Chris, who seemed unfazed by their disadvantage, something that she herself, couldn't be quite so nonchalant about.

The demons advanced and her heart began to hammer wildly inside her chest. Chris had told her not to use the vanquishing potion without his say-so, but with the demons rapidly closing in, it was extremely difficult to resist employing her best means of defence.

"Chris…" she hissed tremulously as the demons edged ever closer, their eyes intent on their prey.

"Not yet," Chris warned her in a soft undertone. "Just a bit closer…," he encouraged. "That's it, come on…"

Suddenly there was a brilliant flash of blue light and all twelve demons were blown backwards like rag dolls, knocked off their feet by a shimmering force field that seemed to come from Chris himself. "Handy power of my brothers," he told Stacey with a wolfish grin before springing into action.

"I need those two alive," he said.

He pointed at two of the demons, who she instantly recognised as their attackers from several days before, and then threw two bottles of vanquishing potion at two of the others, hitting his targets with the pinpoint accuracy of a world-class archer.

Stacey followed suit, missing one demon by a considerable margin, but luckily managing to take the second one out. The first charged her down with an infuriated roar and she quickly raised her hands to protect herself. Fire shot like lightening bolts from her fingers, setting the demon's heavy clothing alight and stopping him in his tracks.

Howling with agony and engulfed in white-hot heat, the demon fell forward onto his face, then began to roll over and over in an attempt to smother the raging flames. Retrieving a third bottle of vanquishing potion from her jacket pocket, Stacey quickly finished him off before he could manage it.

While all this was going on, Chris had managed to reduce their enemy's number by another two, but now seemed to be backing away from the remaining six no longer on the offensive. It was then that Stacey realised – they only had eight bottles of potion and they needed ten. Chris had used up all of his firepower; she was the only one with any to spare. Snatching the final bottle of potion from her pocket, she rushed forward and flung it at one of the demons, hitting him squarely between the shoulder blades.

So seven down, five to go…

"Get back!" Chris shouted at her as the demons closed in on him from all sides.

"But…"

"I SAID GET BACK! TAKE COVER!"

Galvanised into action by the peremptory note of command in his voice, Stacey scuttled out the way, hunkering down behind a stack of wooden crates. Her heart was in her throat – five to one, it was impossible… They were getting closer and closer… Would he use the shield again or did he have something else up his sleeve?

It all seemed to happen at once. Almost as if they were on the end of a pulley, two of the demons – the ones they wanted alive – suddenly shot backwards across the room like balls out of a cannon, ending up pinned against the opposite wall. Chris orbed out, re-materialised behind his would-be assassins, and raised his hands with a defiant gesture. A rippling shockwave of energy immediately burst forth from his palms, sweeping up and completely annihilating the three remaining demons in its wake.

Stacey had never seen anything like it. It was magic at its most fundamental, a raw unrestrained power that seemed to have no boundaries. She instinctively knew that this was the pinnacle of Wyatt Halliwell's magical abilities, and she shuddered to imagine what kind of havoc he could wreak when he used his powers for ill gain. No wonder Chris was so obsessive about preventing his brother from being turned.

Chris himself was both relieved and a little shell-shocked. He hadn't even been sure whether he could tap into his brother's vanquishing power, but had decided that it was worth a shot given the increasingly desperate circumstances. The upsurge of magical energy that had flooded his veins at that moment had been like nothing else he'd ever experienced. It had immortalised him, imbued him with power beyond his imagining. It would be easy to be seduced by it he realised, to fall prey to its addictive influence and step over the line into blatant tyranny.

Chris discovered that he was stronger than that however. His soul was his primary guiding light. He had no need for magical dominion. If truth be told, he preferred to remain in the background. Circumstances had pushed him into the forefront. He did what he did because he had to, because there was no one more qualified to take up the mantle and fight to safeguard the future.

Still buoyed by his brother's power, he turned and confidently approached the two demons that he had telekinetically pinioned against the wall a few moments earlier.

"I think it's time we had a little chat," he informed them stridently.

"Who are you?" one of them demanded in a gravely voice.

"Someone you don't want to mess with," Chris said matter-of-factly, "So I'd advise you to cooperate."

"That's more than our lives are worth, witch."

"Is that so? Let's test out that theory, shall we?"

Holding his hand up in front of his face, Chris slowly closed his fingers around a seemingly invisible object. One of the demons immediately began to splutter and choke, clawing at his throat in an attempt to relieve the tightening pressure around his larynx.

Unfortunately, because this was a power that he also possessed, Chris hadn't bothered practising with Wyatt's version of it and he miscalculated somewhat, underestimating the strength of his brother's power versus his own. The demon's neck snapped with a sickening crack, and a fountain of blood erupted from his mouth as he slumped sideways and crumpled to the floor.

Chris was so startled by what he'd inadvertently done that his control slipped a little, and the other demon managed to break free from the magical restraints holding him in place. Before the demon had taken two steps towards freedom however, a semi-circular wall of pure fire sprang up around him and he cringed back against the brickwork again, his eyes wide and fearful.

"Thanks," Chris said over his shoulder to Stacey, regaining his composure and quickly re-establishing his telekinetic hold on their prisoner.

"See, I told you I'd be useful to have along," she said, extinguishing the flame-cage with a casual flick of her fingers.

Chris smiled briefly at her and then turned his attention back to the demon in front of him. "All right, so get talking," he ordered, "Unless you want to end up like your buddy here that is. I want to know who ordered the ambush on me the other day, and don't even think about suggesting it was a random attack."

The demon glared at him in silence, his eyes glittering with open enmity.

Chris made a noise like a buzzer sounding in the back of his throat. "Strike One…," he intoned threateningly.

"It was Kreegor who…"

"Strike Two," Chris interrupted the demon's obvious attempt at avoiding the question. "You were the one with the athame. That makes you the Head Honcho. A task like that wouldn't be entrusted to an underling."

"All right, all right, but I never met him personally..."

"Strike Three…"

"I'm telling you, I don't know who he was!" the demon exclaimed rather shrilly. "It was a business arrangement, okay? He approached me and he kept his face covered the entire time!"

A sudden chill ran down Chris's spine. Demons were notoriously egocentric. They couldn't resist lording it over their subordinates if they got the opportunity. There was only one demon alive who would deliberately conceal his identity during a transaction like this…

Alcathan.

Despite the ominous connotations of his attacker's identity, Chris was immediately transported back to any number of childhood scrapes he'd gotten himself into. By attempting to track his assailant down, not to mention using his brother's powers so blatantly, he'd probably alerted Alcathan to the fact that they were onto him.

'_Oh shit!'_ he thought in silent chagrin. _'Mom is so gonna kill me!'_

_**To be continued…**_


	33. Wyatt's Dilemma

**FALSE MEMORIES **

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! New update for you. Just to let you know, I've been having a few problems with the site recently. I haven't received any email alerts for the last week, so if you've PM'd me I won't know. The same thing happened a few weeks ago. I got nothing for about a week and then they all arrived at once – weird!

I also tried to reply to the signed Chapter 32 reviews earlier today and got review reply denied messages for some of them. If you left a signed review and haven't received a reply therefore, that's the reason why – please don't think I'm not grateful for your review.

Anyway, let's get on with the show. I've put in a bit of a recap so you remember where we're at with the story. Oh, and I've taken a bit of dramatic licence with the legend of Excalibur btw!

**OOOOOO **

**_Last time… _**

"I want to know who ordered the ambush on me the other day, and don't even think about suggesting it was a random attack."

The demon glared at him in silence, his eyes glittering with open enmity.

Chris made a noise like a buzzer sounding in the back of his throat. "Strike One…," he intoned threateningly.

"It was Kreegor who…"

"Strike Two," Chris interrupted the demon's obvious attempt at avoiding the question. "You were the one with the athame. That makes you the Head Honcho. A task like that wouldn't be entrusted to an underling."

"All right, all right, but I never met him personally..."

"Strike Three…"

"I'm telling you, I don't know who he was!" the demon exclaimed rather shrilly. "It was a business arrangement, okay? He approached me and he kept his face covered the entire time!"

A sudden chill ran down Chris's spine. Demons were notoriously egocentric. They couldn't resist lording it over their subordinates if they got the opportunity. There was only one demon alive who would deliberately conceal his identity during a transaction like this…

Alcathan.

Despite the ominous connotations of his attacker's identity, Chris was immediately transported back to any number of childhood scrapes he'd gotten himself into. By attempting to track his assailant down, not to mention using his brother's powers so blatantly, he'd probably alerted Alcathan to the fact that they were onto him.

_'Oh shit!'_ he thought in chagrin. _'My Mom is so gonna kill me!' _

**OOOOOO **

**Chapter 33 – Wyatt's Dilemma **

Once the initial shock of his discovery wore off, Chris's mind went into overdrive. The last few hours had been exercise in futility, he realised. If Alcathan was behind the attack on him, then the curse slowly invading every cell in his body would not be easily overcome. It would take an immensely powerful bit of magic to reverse it and even then…

_'I'm going to die.' _

Surprisingly, this bleak insight didn't hit him as hard as one would expect. Ever since he had opened the portal to the past all those months ago, he had known, deep down, that this would be the likely outcome. It had a certain ring of inevitability about it. Victory didn't come without sacrifice; several generations of his family had already proved that, his future Mom being the last in a very long line of soldiers down.

That thought registered more strongly with him than the last. He would not – no, strike that - _could not_ let that happen. So what if he was essentially a walking dead man, he wasn't going to go down without a fight. Saving Wyatt and hopefully his Mom was the only thing that mattered to him now. He had to get the job done, while he still had the physical strength to do so. Moreover, the element of surprise was the best advantage he had…

As the demon hit the floor like a sack of potatoes, Stacey stared at her grim-faced friend in open-mouthed shock. "Chris! What are you…?"

He had killed the first demon by accident – or so she'd thought. But this… this couldn't have been anything other than deliberate. With an expression of steely determination on his face, he'd calmly held up his hand and resolutely crushed the life out of his victim with an unequivocal sense of purpose.

"Burn them," he ordered her curtly.

"But…"

"Just do it!"

Stacey obeyed without thinking, stirred into action by the peremptory note of command in his voice. Holding out her palm, she focused her power on the two demons and they promptly burst into flames as a result. She didn't leave it at that however. Under her direction, the fire grew hotter and hotter, turning from orange to yellow to white and finally to blue as it transcended the mere physical and entered the realm of the supernatural. When she was done, no trace of the demons remained, not even a scorch mark on the floor. It was as if they had never existed, which she presumed was exactly what Chris wanted.

His bleak nod of satisfaction confirmed that. "It'll have to do," he remarked shortly, then grasped her firmly by the wrist and orbed the two of them back to her apartment.

"Are you going to explain what that was all about?" Stacey demanded after the unexpected orb. "Or am I supposed to just guess?"

Chris merely answered her question with one of his own. "Is there anywhere you can go?" he asked her urgently.

"Go?" she queried with a puzzled frown.

"Yes, away from here, away from San Francisco."

"But why would I…? Chris, what's going on?"

Chris pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and his forefinger. "I miscalculated," he told her gravely.

"I don't understand…"

"Alcathan. He's the only demon I know of who is reluctant to show his face."

"What? You mean he…" Stacey trailed off as she realised what he was suggesting

"Yeah," Chris replied heavily. "He used you as bait to get to me, and that should have been the end of it. But I took you along with me today and used my brother's powers to kill those demons as well…"

"But he can't know…"

Chris scoffed. "Wanna bet?" he said. "Magic like that leaves a mark, Stacey, undetectable to most but to a demon as powerful as Alcathan… Well, let's just say, today was like waving a giant flag in front of him and announcing that I'm a direct threat to his dominion."

"He already knows that though, doesn't he? Why else would he send those demons after you?"

"I was getting in the way of his plans for Wyatt that's all. I was an inconvenience, a fly to be swatted, nothing more. But now… now I'm much more. By getting rid of the evidence so to speak, I've hopefully bought myself a little more time to prepare, but I have to act before he finds out. This is all about to go down, Stacey and I need you far away when it does. I can't risk you being used as some sort of collateral against me."

Stacey stared at him, a sinking feeling of horror in the pit of her stomach. A few days ago, she'd been an ordinary witch going about her daily business without a care in the world. And now, by virtue of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, she was suddenly part of this huge good versus evil battle. A battle that the fate of the entire future rested upon if Chris was telling her the truth.

"So, is there?" Chris said, pressing her for an answer. "Anywhere you could go, I mean."

"Umm…" she thought about it for a moment. "Chicago," she eventually decided. "There's a three day art seminar that I'm attending next week. I'm staying with a friend from college – I could call him and say I've decided to fly in a few days early, I suppose."

Chris nodded. "Do that," he instructed. "I'll orb you there tonight."

"But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"Chris…"

He sighed. "I'll call you," he promised.

"Every day?"

"I might not be able to…"

"No," Stacey interrupted sharply. "You call me every day. If you don't, I'll know that… well, that… You just call me, okay?"

"Okay!" Chris answered in a slightly irritated tone.

"Look, I know we haven't known each other very long but I care about you, Chris. And your family… well, your family love you. I understand why you feel the need to focus on what you came here to do right now, but you at least have to give them the chance to try to save you. You owe them that – you owe yourself that."

Chris nodded. "All right, but not until afterwards. Healthy or not, there was always the chance that I wasn't going to make it through this alive. They know it and I know it. If I miss my opportunity chasing after some non-existent cure, whether I live or die will be irrelevant. I want my life to count for something, and if this is it then so be it."

"You're braver person than me," Stacey remarked softly.

Chris shook his head. "No, not really. I've just had to survive, you know? Okay, so I'm obsessed with saving Wyatt right now but I have this dream … of a better life for myself, my family, my friends. It's the hope that has kept me going over the years and… and if it's gone, then there is nothing left for me to fight for. My future is just a mass of grey, a black and white world with no hint of any colour in it."

Stacey looked at him. "I don't know what to say," she said quietly.

"There's no need for you to say anything," Chris assured her. "Call your friend and pack your things. I'll be back in a couple of hours to orb you out of here."

Stacey nodded and he orbed out, leaving her to ponder the truths that had just been revealed to her. She'd never really considered it before, what being a witch really meant. It was simply a part of who she was. She'd taken it for granted that more powerful among them, such as Chris's family, would keep the demon population at bay. It wasn't her fight, she reasoned, it was theirs.

It was only now that she realised that her powers were not simply an optional extra; that they had been given to her for a reason - to do good. It was time to stop drifting along in silent apathy. The good fight was just as much her responsibility as it was the Halliwells, something that her niece had recognised at an early age, judging by the way that Chris spoke of her. She wasn't much, but she could contribute in her own way and she resolved to do that from now on.

She was, however, intelligent enough to realise that this particular battle was way out of her league. It was definitely one to let the Wicca elite take care of. She just didn't expect them to be so… well, personable, she guessed. They weren't mythical beings to her anymore. They were real people and one of them just happened to be her friend…

**OOOOOO **

**_The Manor… _**

Seated on one of the wicker seats in the sunlit conservatory, Piper watched her son play with a strange kind of melancholy. He sat, a little blond angel, surrounded by a myriad of his toys – soft-play building blocks, a large plastic car and a book that sang a different nursery rhyme whenever you turned the page.

As the tinny refrain of 'Twinkle, twinkle little star' burst forth from the book, she felt a sharp kick against her ribs, the baby in her belly adding the weight of his opinion to his brother's giggles of approval. She placed her hands protectively over her bulging stomach and sighed.

"One of you is going to have to talk to Chris," Phoebe said quietly, as she watched her sister covertly from the vantage point of the lounge doorway.

The two Leos were sitting side by side on the sofa, looking for all the world like a pair of identical twins, while Paige, along with the recently summoned Prue, sat in the armchairs either side of them.

"I know he's a grown man and used to his independence," she went on, "But all this worry isn't doing Piper or the baby any good. He needs to learn to be a bit more considerate of her feelings."

Future Leo sighed. "I'm sure the last thing Chris wants is to cause Piper any distress," he said. "He's just used to fending for himself that's all. It's been a long time since he's had family around to watch his back."

"You watched his back," Paige reminded him.

"Yes, but only from a distance and Chris was never really aware of it. Wyatt's false memory spell saw to that. In his eyes, he's been on his own since he was sixteen."

"Well, he's not now and it's time he realised it," Phoebe said firmly.

Future Leo nodded. "I'll talk to him."

The sound of orbs distracted them from their conversation then. Out in the conservatory, Piper rose to her feet as fast as her pregnant belly would allow. "Where have you been?" she demanded of her son, who flinched back from her sharp tone while still managing to stand his ground.

"It's a long story," he told her abruptly, "And we've got bigger problems to deal with right now."

"Like what?" Present Leo asked as he and the others came in from the other room.

"I, umm… Hey Aunt Prue!" Momentarily distracted, Chris grinned at his eldest Aunt in greeting.

"Hey!" Prue replied with an answering smile, and then looked at him expectantly. "What 'bigger problems'?" she asked.

"Well, umm, I thought I'd try and find out more about those demons who attacked Stacey the other day," Chris started to explain.

"Didn't we decide that she'd been selected as part of their 'witch-baiting' game?" Paige said.

"Well yeah, but it seemed too much of a coincidence that it happened while I was in the vicinity. You'd think they'd check for the presence of someone who might get in the way first, wouldn't you?"

"I guess."

"So?" Future Leo prompted when his son didn't immediately continue with his story.

"Well, I was right," Chris said slowly, struggling against the curse's desire to stay his tongue.

"You were the target you mean?" Piper asked, a note of fear entering her tone.

Chris nodded imperceptibly. "And it wasn't just someone who thought it'd be fun to target the Charmed Ones' whitelighter either," he went on. "They were specifically after me."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, he did say he wanted me out of the way," Chris admitted blandly, choosing his words carefully in order to circumvent the magical interdiction he was under.

"Wait, are you saying that Alcathan was behind this?" Present Leo asked.

Chris couldn't directly answer that, but his unsuspecting family took his silence as confirmation rather than realising that.

Paige whistled. "You were lucky to escape with just a scratch then," she said.

Chris forced his lips upwards into a rather grim smile. "Yeah," he agreed, "But I may have also dropped myself in it. The demons backed me into a bit of a tight corner and I had to use Wyatt's vanquishing power to get out of it."

"And this is a problem because…?" Prue said, as the two Leo's exchanged a distinctly worried look.

"Because it pretty much screams 'someone with awesome magical power' from the rooftops," Chris told her.

"You mean you exposed yourself?" Phoebe said.

Chris grinned for real this time. "Well, not literally," he quipped, "But in magical terms, I certainly announced myself as a contender, yeah."

"Which is why we need to step up the timetable of our plan before this gets back to Alcathan," he went on, while his listeners digested this unwanted piece of information. "With the demon rumour mill being what it is, I would say I've got about forty-eight hours of anonymity left. I have to act before then or I'm toast."

"But you're not ready yet," Piper said fretfully.

"Mom, I'm ready as I'm ever gonna be," Chris said. "There's just one more thing I need to try out. And for that, I need to know where you moved Excalibur to."

"I orbed it down to the basement before we summoned Future Wyatt," Paige said. "I didn't think it was a good idea to keep it in the attic while he was here."

"How do you know about Excalibur anyway?" Phoebe asked her nephew. "You weren't around at the time and I don't remember us telling you anything about it."

Chris laughed at her cluelessness. "That thing gives off one serious aura of power - you think I haven't noticed it every time I've set foot in the attic since you brought it here?"

Phoebe frowned. "It does? I don't feel it – do you?" she turned to her sisters.

"No," Paige shook her head. "Piper?"

"I umm… kind of, I guess…"

"But that doesn't make sense; I'm the one with the power of empathy!" Phoebe exclaimed.

Future Leo smiled at his sister-in-law's indignation. "It's not about that, Phoebe. It's about the blood of the chosen one."

"Come again?"

"I don't pretend to know the ins and outs of it all, but Excalibur affiliates itself with one particular person – a chosen one if you will."

"Wyatt."

"Yes, and it recognises him by his blood. He's connected to it through that. Piper and I can feel Excalibur's power because we're his parents – we gave him his blood. Chris feels it more strongly because he essentially shares the same blood as Wyatt - just a different genetic variation of it."

He looked over at his son then. "The ability to draw Excalibur is not strictly one of your brother's powers though, Chris. It has more to do with who he is. I don't know whether it's something that would be affected by the power-switching spell."

"I know, but it's worth a try isn't it?"

"Well, it'd certainly be an advantage," Leo concurred.

"So, let's find out shall we?"

A few minutes later, they were all gathered in the dimly lit basement, Prue with her baby nephew perched on her hip. Present Leo pulled the dustsheet off Excalibur and nodded to his son. Chris moved forward and wrapped his hand around the hilt of the sword. He could feel it vibrating against his palm and a kind of wild excitement filled him. When he tried to remove the sword from the stone however, nothing happened. It was stuck fast, wouldn't budge even when he threw all of his physical strength behind the attempt.

"Well, that's that then," he said dejectedly, a bitter taste of disappointment filling his mouth.

"Not necessarily," Future Leo said thoughtfully. "I've done a lot of research on the legend of Excalibur. It won't let you draw it, but it might let you handle it."

Present Leo nodded his agreement, as something from his borrowed memories rose to the surface. "The Knights of the Round Table," he said.

"You do know you're not making any sense, don't you?" Prue told them irritably, as she set a squirming Wyatt down on the floor.

"If the future had happened as intended, if Wyatt had turned out good, then things would be different," Future Leo explained. "He would not have walked alone, Arthur never did."

"What? So you're saying that he'd have his own set of Knights?"

"Metaphorically speaking, yes," Future Leo replied. "And it stands to reason that Chris would be one of them."

"And the Knights could handle Excalibur?"

"I don't know for sure, but it's a possibility. They are an essential part of the legend after all."

"So if I…" Piper moved forward and grasped hold of the sword. She pulled and… it wouldn't move. Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"You're not planning to give it to Wyatt," Future Leo explained. "Excalibur won't permit that. Your purpose is to safeguard the sword for Wyatt's future, nobody else's."

"But this _is_ for Wyatt's future," Piper protested.

"It's a sword, Piper. It doesn't understand the subtleties of that. Its awareness isn't that sophisticated."

"So how do we get the sword out of the damn stone then?"

"Wyatt has to do it," Present Leo answered for his future counterpart. "Excalibur will allow someone else to use it, but only if he gives his permission. Well, that's the theory anyway."

"Okay little guy," Phoebe said, leading her nephew forward by the hand. "You be a good boy and let your brother borrow your sword, all right?"

Little Wyatt turned his blue-eyed gaze on his Aunt and then looked back at Excalibur. A crease of concentration appeared in the centre of his brow and the sword slid partly out of the stone in response. However, it then began to shudder violently, protesting the movement and refusing to be drawn completely.

"What's going on?" Prue demanded. "Why is it doing that?"

Future Leo was frowning. "I think that maybe it's confused," he said slowly. "It doesn't know which Wyatt is the real deal…"

The shuddering suddenly stopped then, and Excalibur resealed itself back in the stone with an echoing clang.

"Are you sure it's supposed to be good?" Paige asked her brother-in-laws acidly.

"It doesn't understand the concept of good and evil, Paige. I'm guessing it chose what it thinks is the stronger connection –adult rather than baby Wyatt. That doesn't mean all is lost though."

Chris scoffed. "Come off it, Dad. As if Wyatt is going to hand me a weapon that'll help eliminate his hero. He doesn't want me to succeed."

"He equally doesn't want you dead," Future Leo retorted. "Yes, he's evil but he does still care on some level. Not breaking the connection between you and Wyatt was the biggest mistake Alcathan ever made. He left the potential there for your brother to betray him. We've already seen it happen once – Wyatt's the one in control in the future, he rejected Alcathan's leadership for some reason. I'm more convinced than ever that it had something to do with you."

"This is different though. This time he'll be handing me the power to destroy him."

Future Leo shook his head. "No, he'll be handing you the tools you need to defend yourself. Even with Excalibur, there's no guarantee you'll succeed. I don't believe Wyatt will let you go into this fight at a disadvantage, Chris. His conscience – what's left of it – won't let him. I think he'll play the odds, gamble on a fifty-fifty chance."

Chris sighed. "I wish I could believe that," he said, "But I'm not sure I have your faith."

"You've nothing to lose by asking him."

"No, I guess not."

"We'll come with you," Present Leo said, placing a reassuring hand on his son's shoulder.

Chris shook his head. "No, no… I need to do this on my own. Whatever the outcome, I need to… I have to say goodbye."

His father nodded in understanding and Chris closed his eyes for a moment, trying to steel himself for the confrontation. He took a few deep breaths to calm himself and then orbed upstairs.

"Do you really think Wyatt will do this?" Piper demanded of her future husband.

Future Leo let out his breath with a sigh. "I'm playing a hunch," he admitted," But I still think there's a chance."

Piper swayed slightly on her feet and Present Leo quickly reached out to steady her. "I don't know how much longer I can stand this," she lamented tearfully, turning into his embrace.

Present Leo wasn't sure what to say to comfort her, so he simply held her close while the rest of the family looked on, their faces wearing identical expressions of sad resignation. None of them wanted it to be this way but, equally, they couldn't see any another option…

**OOOOOO **

**_The Attic… _**

Wyatt was intensely annoyed with himself.

He was letting his family's little mind-games get to him. Emotions he had kept locked inside for years were straining against their shackles, demanding that he deal with them… And he didn't want to deal with them, damn it! Human emotion was for the weak and he was NOT weak!

It was essential that he focus. The family needed a distraction and revealing Chris's secret was the perfect way to accomplish that. He just needed to find out what his brother was so intent upon hiding from them… This, of course, was easier said than done when Chris hadn't come within speaking distance of him for hours now. It was so frustrating! He was used to being in rigid control of every aspect of his life and now, a horrible sense of helplessness was consuming him. He didn't like the out of control feeling it engendered one iota…

A twinkling orb sound broke into his reverie then, and he turned sharply at the telltale noise. "Well, speak of the devil," he drawled when his brother emerged from the glittery blue lights, "I was just thinking about you."

"Am I supposed to be flattered?" Chris responded flatly, folding his arms across his chest as he forced himself to meet his brother's piercing gaze.

As their eyes met and held, Wyatt took the opportunity to take in his sibling's altered appearance. Chris looked older somehow, less innocent. His face appeared gaunt and angular, but his expression was still pugnaciously determined. He also looked unnaturally pale, the greenish pallor of his skin emphasised by the dark smudges under his eyes and the beads of sweat standing out on his forehead.

"You're sick," Wyatt stated matter-of-factly.

"What?" Chris started in shock and Wyatt knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "No, no… I'm fine."

"Why haven't you got Dad to heal you?" Wyatt ploughed on, ignoring his brother's attempts to deny the situation.

"I did. It came back," Chris blurted before he could stop himself.

His eyes widened in amazement. The curse had so far prevented him from speaking freely about what was happening to him, but somehow Wyatt didn't seem to be included in that. How could that be? It didn't make any sense.

"What do you mean 'it came back'?" his brother demanded.

"I…," Chris faltered, completely thrown by this unexpected turn of events. All right, so he knew that he couldn't trust Wyatt as far as he could throw him, but he still might be able to help.

"I… I think it actually made it worse," he admitted. "I guess your buddy Alcathan has a seriously twisted sense of humour, huh?"

The colour literally drained from Wyatt's face at that. "Drohomeride," he stuttered, his composure slipping in the face of a terrible realisation.

"Drohomer… what?"

"It's a mutated form of darklighter poison," Wyatt explained bleakly. "Alcathan developed it. It acts slowly but whitelighter healing accelerates its effects. It's… it's generally thought of as universally fatal."

"Generally thought of?" Chris questioned, seizing on the three words of lingering hope in an otherwise grim pronouncement.

"I… Michael – he got hit by one of Alcathan's trigger happy guns for hire," Wyatt explained, referring to a whitelighter that they'd both known growing up. A whitelighter that Wyatt had captured a few years back and, as far as Chris knew, killed in cold blood.

"He was more useful to me alive so I tried to heal him and well… it worked, but only after I'd taken him to the brink of death first. Alcathan was staggered. He thought he'd made a poison immune to every magical method of healing and here I was debunking that theory."

Despite the circumstances, Chris felt a certain measure of satisfaction at that. He could imagine how Wyatt's magical superiority must have stuck in Alcathan's craw. That's if his brother wasn't just making all this up as a cover story for a different agenda of course.

"Let me guess," he remarked acidly. "The only whitelighter who has managed this is you. All the rest have ended up killing the people they're trying to help."

Wyatt nodded and Chris snorted derisively. "So, let me get this straight, the only way I can be healed is with a power that I can't use on myself, a power that I'd have to give back to you in order for it to be effective. How very convenient. Just how stupid do you think I am, Wyatt?"

"This isn't a bluff, Chris!"

Chris let out a hollow laugh. "And I'm supposed to take your word for that, am I?"

"I would heal you, you know."

Chris inclined his head in acknowledgement of the point. "Maybe, but it wouldn't be done as a charitable gesture, would it? Thanks but I think I'll pass, if it's all the same to you."

"I'll tell Dad!" Wyatt threatened.

"I'll tell Dad!" Chris mimicked scathingly, "What are we? Five? Besides – who do you think he's going to believe? You? Or Me? Please!"

"It won't be a case of believing me," Wyatt retorted. "I know how Drohomeride works – it has to be absorbed directly into the blood stream, which means you have one hell of a nasty wound somewhere. He'll listen enough to check that out, whether he trusts me or not."

Temporarily flummoxed, Chris stared back at his brother, knowing that he was probably correct about their father's reaction. He'd made a decision earlier though; he would not let this derail him from the task he had to perform. He didn't want to give up on life, but he intended to secure the future before he fought for the right to live in it.

His eyes narrowed calculatingly. "I'll just have to make sure there's nothing for him to find then, won't I?" he declared.

"And exactly how do you plan on doing that?"

Chris's lips twisted into an ironic smile. "I think you've forgotten the power from which you were born, Wyatt," he taunted mockingly. "A little Charmed magic goes a long way, you know."

Lifting up his t-shirt, he tugged off the bandage and held his palm out over the seeping wound on his lower abdomen. "Let the scene of objection become but a dream," he intoned. "So for those in the dark, the truth remains unseen."

The skin on Chris's stomach shimmered like a mirage in reaction to the spell and, although he could still see the nasty-looking cut, Wyatt knew it was now invisible to anyone who wasn't already aware of his brother's condition.

"You're crazy," he said, aghast at the lengths to which his sibling was prepared to go in order to achieve his goal.

"Pot and Kettle, Wyatt," Chris replied. "Now, seeing as we've got that sorted, shall we move on to the real point of this conversation?"

"You mean this isn't a social call? I think I'm actually hurt."

"Somehow I seriously doubt that," Chris replied before finally getting to the salient point.

"I need you to lend me Excalibur," he said, seeing no reason to be subtle about the request. It was a black and white situation. Either his brother would help him or he wouldn't – period.

Wyatt laughed. "And why would I do that?"

"Out of the goodness of your heart," Chris suggested incongruously. "Apparently, I'm your Achilles' Heel."

Wyatt's expression darkened at that. "I don't need you," he retorted.

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that. Maybe one day you'll actually believe it."

Wyatt studied his brother carefully. "Why are you doing this?" he eventually asked.

"I…" Chris opened his mouth to give his stock answer to that question, but then stopped short. Maybe it was time for the truth; it was the last time he would ever get to say it.

"Because you're family," he said simply. "Because I know that the person you've become isn't really the true you, that the brother I used to have still exists inside you somehow. And because I love you, I guess."

For once, Wyatt didn't make any sarcastic comeback, nor did he register a response to his brother's pronouncement. Chris nodded. The uncharacteristic silence was enough.

"I have something I have to do right now," he said calmly. "Whether you allow me to use Excalibur is your choice, but I need an answer by the time I get back."

"Oh, and just so we're clear," he added, turning back on his way to the door. "I am going to do this – with or without your help."

And with that, he left.

Wyatt resisted the urge to grab the bars of his crystal cage and shake them until his teeth rattled from the magical energy. How had he lost the upper hand? He'd had Chris on the back foot initially, but he'd pushed things too far, caused his brother to go on the defensive. He could still reveal what he knew of course, but without proof…Chris was too much of a fast talker for that to work effectively, and Wyatt knew it. No, he'd have to be significantly more subtle than that, bide his time and wait for the right moment to strike.

Except Chris didn't have that much time, he reminded himself. He had never wanted his brother dead, despite his constant betrayals. What he really wanted was to bring Chris round to his way of thinking. He'd been in awe of Alcathan as a teenager but not any more. His ambitions were so prosaic, those of a five hundred year old demon, and Wyatt wasn't even twenty-four yet. With youth and Charmed power on his side, his brother would be a much more suitable partner in crime, except that he seemed to have this inexplicable ability to remain uncorrupted even under the most intense provocation.

It was an obstacle that Wyatt hadn't counted on; he'd expected his brother to just fall in line, especially after he'd removed their father's influence from his brother's life. Where Chris had developed this sudden martyr complex from, was anyone's guess. It was seriously annoying to be quite frank. Unable to see a clear path through his own twisted sense of reality, he just didn't understand what it was that Chris believed was worth dieing for. Life was so much simpler this way.

And die Chris would – whether it be due to the poison in his veins or at Alcathan's hand, the outcome would be the same. The question was - could he turn down his brother's request for help? Despite the evil running through his veins, he still believed in fair play. He was a competitive sort and had a healthy respect for those who opposed him. It made crushing them all the more satisfying. Opponents who didn't offer any resistance were boring; subduing them was no fun.

Injured and without every possible weapon at his disposal, Chris would be the underdog in this fight. By helping him out however, he'd be increasing his brother's chances of success, and thereby potentially destroying everything he'd worked so hard for over the last few years. It was a Catch-22 situation if ever there was one…

**OOOOOO **

**_Stacey's apartment… _**

Leaning her weight against the lid to aid in the task, Stacey drew the zipper around her hastily packed suitcase, and then transferred it from the bed to the floor. As she wheeled it out into the lounge space, Chris orbed in and she smiled tentatively at him in greeting.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Stacey nodded. "I called Paul," she said. "He wanted to pick me up from the airport but I told him I'd get a cab. He thinks I'm already in Chicago so I'm glad you're here. He's going to start asking questions if I don't show up at his place soon."

"He doesn't know you're a witch?"

"No, it's not the easiest thing to drop into a conversation, you know."

"Yeah, I know," Chris said. "Okay – I need you to think about where you want to go. Just make sure it's not somewhere out in the open. The general public tend to freak out when people materialise out of thin air."

Stacey nodded and held out her hand towards him. His fingers closed around hers and the next thing she knew, she was standing in a secluded copse of trees directly across from Paul's apartment in Chicago.

She turned to Chris. "You promised you'd call," she reminded him.

He nodded. "I know and I will."

"So – this is goodbye then?"

"Yeah, I guess it is."

Knowing that this could very well be the last time she ever saw him; Stacey stepped forward and hugged him tightly. "Good Luck," she whispered.

"Thanks – I think I'm gonna need it," Chris said as he returned her hug. He stepped back and nodded towards the row of brightly lit apartment buildings. "Go," he urged.

Shooting him a tight smile of farewell, Stacey turned and made her way across the street. As she reached the front door of Paul's apartment block and pressed the buzzer, she heard the faint sound of orbing and quickly looked back over her shoulder just in time to see the departing stream of blue lights.

"Hey, it's me," she said when Paul answered.

"Okay, come on up."

The door clicked and Stacey pushed it open before taking the short elevator ride up to Paul's spacious second floor apartment. He greeted her at the door with a wide smile and a friendly hug.

"So what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" he asked as he ushered her inside and took her coat. "Has some insane guy dumped you again?"

Stacey laughed. "No, I just…" she faltered, wondering whether she should tell him the truth. She was distinctly on edge and he was bound to notice that.

She and Paul shared a curious kind of friendship. It was entirely based on their mutual love of art. They'd been in the same study group at college and helped each other through various professional crises of faith. They'd never socialised much outside of that though. Even after college, meeting up was always tied into some art event – an exhibition in San Francisco for instance, the grand opening of Paul's art studio a year or so back, another prime example.

She knew him though, without needing to know his life story. People revealed their personality in their art, and a trained eye could read the subtle nuances of that in the brushstrokes of colour and the choice of subject matter. She knew he was open enough to the spiritual to take her Wicca heritage in his stride, but was it fair to burden him with it?

"Stacey?" Paul's voice was gentle, concerned, which prompted her to lift her eyes to his questioning gaze.

She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. "There's something I need to tell you…"

**OOOOOO **

**_The Manor… _**

"So did Stacey make it safely to her friend's?" Present Leo asked as his son orbed back in.

The rest of the family were seated around the kitchen table waiting for his return and, more importantly, Wyatt's decision.

Chris nodded. "Hopefully out of sight means out of mind where Alcathan is concerned. I feel responsible for dragging her into all of this."

"It wasn't your fault, Chris. You've done everything you can to ensure her safety, that's all you can do."

"Well, I hope it's enough," Chris replied before turning his attention to other matters. "Right – I guess I better go and find out what big brother has to say."

The entire Halliwell clan rose to their feet and he regarded them nervously, not knowing what Wyatt intended to do with the clandestine knowledge he was in possession of. "Maybe I should talk to him alone," he suggested warily.

Future Leo shook his head. "No," he told his son firmly. "If he's going to refuse you, then he can do it in front of the family."

Chris shrugged, knowing there wasn't really much point in arguing with them. He was just going to have to take the risk and see how it all played out. They trouped up the stairs in procession and, as a result, Wyatt was on his feet and waiting for them when they finally reached the attic.

"So," he said, folding his arms nonchalantly across his chest, "To what do I owe this particular pleasure?"

"I think you know," Future Leo told him coldly.

He turned and looked at Piper, who stepped forward so that she was in her son's direct line of sight. "We only want to know one thing," she said, placing her hand over her expanding waistline in an unconsciously protective gesture. "Are you going to help your brother or not?"

Wyatt's eyes travelled over her and the rest of his family before they finally came to rest on his brother. Chris looked tense, obviously concerned by what he might reveal. He smirked.

_'Worried, bro?' _he said, projecting the thought rather than speaking aloud.

Chris's reaction was not what he expected. He suddenly seemed to sway on his feet and had to grab hold of the back of the sofa to keep himself upright. Something that felt a lot like concern rippled through Wyatt's body, an emotion that he did not want to feel right now, not when it was essential that he remain detached.

"Well?" his Aunt Prue demanded, her eyes boring into him and making him squirm like only the female members of his family ever could.

His eyes flickered back to Chris's face and his brother's earlier words rang inside his head once more.

_'Oh, and just so we're clear. I am going to do this – with or without your help.' _

Damn and blast it! He had no other choice…

**_To be continued… _**

**_A little hint of Wyatt's decision there, so hopefully it's not too much of a cliffhanger!_**


	34. Brother to Brother

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Yay! Finally a new update :-) I think this chapter is still a tiny bit ropey in places, but it's definitely time to move on. There were times I thought I'd never make it to the end! I didn't quite realise how many of you had reviewed Chapter 33 either. 36 reviews for one part – it's definitely a record! I'll have to take ages to update more often (only joking!).

If you have the time, please take a quick look at my profile page because it contains some important news about my stories. Otherwise, let's get on with the show – you've been waiting long enough.

Everyone except Wyatt (and Stacey) is still in the dark about Chris being posioned, and the family are waiting to hear whether Wyatt will agree to lend him Excalibur or not… Oh and the dream sequence later on in this chapter contains quotes from the show, quotes from this story, and some original material as well. See if you can spot which is which!

**OOOOOO**

_**Last time…**_

"We only want to know one thing," Piper said, placing her hand over her expanding waistline in an unconsciously protective gesture. "Are you going to help your brother or not?"

Wyatt looked back at her, and then his eyes travelled over the rest of his family before they finally came to rest once again on his brother. Chris looked tense, obviously concerned by what he might reveal and he smirked.

'_Worried, bro?' _he said, projecting the thought rather than speaking aloud.

Chris's reaction was not what he expected. He suddenly seemed to sway on his feet and had to grab hold of the back of the sofa to keep himself upright. Something a whole lot like concern rippled through Wyatt's body, an emotion that he did not want to feel right now, not when it was essential that he remain detached.

"Well?" his Aunt Prue demanded, her eyes boring into him and making him squirm like only the female members of his family could.

His eyes flickered back to his brother's face and Chris's parting words rang inside his head once more.

'_Oh, and just so we're clear. I am going to do this – with or without your help.'_

Damn and blast it! He had no choice…

**OOOOOO**

**Chapter 34 - Brother to Brother**

Present Leo found himself holding his breath as he waited for his son's decision. Wyatt's face was a blank mask for the most part, but a flicker of intangible emotion seemed to spark in his steel-blue eyes at one point in the conversation. He took an unconscious step forward, his hand reaching out towards his brother, before he suddenly seemed to catch himself and recover his lost composure.

After that, his expression became as inscrutable as ever.

Quickly following Wyatt's line of sight, Leo looked searchingly at Chris. His younger child was standing behind the couch, his hands gripping the cushions so tightly that his knuckles were turning white from the strain. He looked abnormally pale and a bolt of concern ran through the Elder at the sight.

Overall, Chris was handling his prophetic responsibility well, but every so often, he seemed to buckle under the stress of it all. As his self-appointed quest for a better future neared its culmination, the pressure on him to succeed was immense, and Leo worried that it might all become too much for him. He wished that he could ease the strain on his son somehow, but unfortunately knew that reassurance wasn't within his ability to provide.

Only Wyatt could aid in that respect, and that was the crux of the whole situation. Would he help his brother and lend him Excalibur? Or would he leave him at a disadvantage in the fight against Alcathan instead? Everything seemed to hinge on the answer to that particular question somehow. It was almost as if the entire outcome of the battle rested on Wyatt's decision. They had put their faith in the glimmer of light that still resided in the corrupt darkness of his soul, and the tenuousness nature of that faith was something that Leo was only to aware of right now.

"Well?"

Prue's demand brought the Elder's attention back to what was taking place before him. Wyatt was clearly fighting a war between his inner conscience and the need to safeguard his future tyranny, but after shooting his brother another telling look, he suddenly seemed to surrender himself to the inevitability of it all.

"All right!" he burst out in a frustrated tone. "You can borrow it. Just don't think this means I'm turning soft, all right?"

"Wouldn't dream of it, bro," Chris's voice was sharply acerbic, "I've fallen for _that _particular subterfuge a few too many times already, remember?"

There was an accusatory bite to that comment that Leo didn't quite understand and a quick glance at his future counterpart confirmed that he didn't either. He wasn't party to everything that had gone on between his sons it seemed. There was a distinct love-hate relationship going on there. Were his boys destined to be always at odds, he wondered sadly. After everything that he'd been through, could Chris really let go of the past in a new future? Or would the memory of what was cast a shadow over what was to be? Leo didn't like to think so, but the concern remained all the same.

While all this had been running through his mind, Paige had orbed Excalibur – stone and all – up from the basement and seeing it brought to home their next dilemma. They would have to let Wyatt out of the crystal cage. He would still be trapped inside the Manor by virtue of the magical defences that they'd set up around the perimeter of the house, but the potential was there for him to wreak havoc nonetheless.

The same possibility had apparently occurred to his other self, for he looked sternly at their son as he approached the cage to set him free. "No funny business, all right?" he warned.

"Why father," the brash young man countered with a feigned show of innocence. "Just what exactly is it that you think I'm going to do?"

Refusing to rise to the bait, Future Leo calmly ignored the sarcastic dig. "You won't make it beyond the front door is all I'm saying," he said, "So don't waste your time and energy attempting to escape."

"Don't worry, Daddy. I promise I'll be a good boy," Wyatt assured him in a distinctly mocking tone.

"Yeah well, you'll have to forgive me if I'm not entirely convinced by that," Future Leo responded dryly, as he bent to pick up one of the crystals and release his son from his crystal prison.

The cage flared brightly as the Elder took the stone away, but then the buzz of magical energy quickly dimmed to a flicker before finally going out. Rather than bursting out of his confines like an escaped convict, however, Wyatt paused for a moment to savour his freedom instead, before he calmly stepped around the remaining crystals and approached Excalibur with a measured stride.

You could cut the tension in the air with a knife as he reached out and grasped the hilt of the legendary sword in his right hand. All of them were on tenterhooks, wondering what he might do. So far, though, Wyatt appeared to be playing ball. He wasn't above laying on the melodrama however, for he withdrew the sword from the stone at an agonisingly slow pace, a hint of a smirk playing on the corners of his lips as he did so. Excalibur slid from its resting place with a metallic rasp, and then glinted and flashed in the blood-red sunlight, which streamed in through the attic window, as its owner traced out a wide arc above his head with its pointed tip.

Chris moved out from behind the sofa and slowly approached his brother, his booted feet making clip-clopping sounds on the wooden floorboards. As the two siblings drew level with each other, Piper sucked in a sharp breath, fear gripping her heart in a sudden, vice-like hold. Chris was essentially unarmed, but Wyatt held the most formidable weapon in the world in his hands. Just one downward stroke of that lethal blade and…

Piper's mind shuddered back from that horrifying image. She had to trust in her husband's belief that, in spite of the evil tainting his soul, Wyatt would never actually take things that far. He wasn't above physical violence, but to mortally wound his own flesh and blood… something still prevented him from crossing that fateful line.

Like mythical warriors protecting their prized progeny, the two Leos quickly moved to stand guard behind Wyatt, each one ready to take action should he step out of line. Prue, Paige and Phoebe had taken up similar positions behind Chris, leaving Piper to stand forlornly to one side, looking on as her estranged children took that first step along a path that she hoped would ultimately lead to some kind of reconciliation between them.

She glanced back over her shoulder at baby Wyatt then. The little boy was standing clutching the bars of his playpen, watching the proceedings with a grave expression on his small face. Piper was never sure just how much the toddler understood of what was going on around him. He had an awareness beyond that of other children his age that much she did know, but how far that went was still a mystery to his bemused mother. With a sigh, she turned back to the tense scene in front of her. She had enough to deal with already without worrying about that as well.

Wyatt was milking the situation for all it was worth. He'd made his decision and wouldn't go back on it, but there was a certain satisfaction to be gained from dragging things out for as long as possible, he discovered. He was particularly enjoying the rising tension that he could sense in his parents and Aunts as he calmly contemplated the fabled sword in his hand. Not to mention the growing irritation of his brother at being made to wait for it too.

Finally, when he judged he'd knocked them suitably off balance, he lowered his sword arm and magnanimously offered Excalibur to his brother. "Be careful, it's heavy," he warned.

Chris shot him a withering look, then reached out and closed his fingers around the hilt of the sword just above his own hand. Excalibur shuddered in response and Wyatt had to tighten his grip to stop it from slipping from his grasp as a peculiar shock ran up his arm. Although initially confused by Chris's alien touch, the quivering sword eventually seemed to accept it, and Wyatt's eyes widened in shock as he felt something very profound click together inside of him as a result.

His brother's innate goodness surged up the shining blade like a tidal wave then, filtering into his damaged soul and papering over the cracks in an effort to make him whole again. Panicking as his rigid control over his emotions started to slip, Wyatt abruptly let go of the sword and staggered backwards, his heart hammering hard inside his chest. The warm feeling inside instantly disappeared and the cold numbness of his own soul quickly reasserted itself. He breathed a sigh of relief. It was all right, he hadn't been permanently affected. Something had just provided Chris with the temporary ability to overwhelm him that's all.

Chris stared with bewildered eyes at the sword in his hand. He too had felt that peculiar merging of souls, but had recognised something that his brother had missed. It had all been Excalibur's doing. The sword had been trying to turn Wyatt back, using the good in Chris's soul to do it. The young witch-whitelighter knew it wasn't as simple as that however. Destiny required free will. Only if Wyatt willingly surrendered could he be healed in that way.

Another thing that Chris had not expected was just how docile the sword in his hand felt. From what he'd been told, Excalibur's immense power was something that most people found extremely difficult to control – his mother had fallen victim to its sway a few short months before for instance. Chris felt none of that however. While the sword's obvious power thrummed strongly in his veins, it did not consume him. Instead, it was somehow at one with who he was, working with him rather than against him.

A cry of alarm interrupted his abstracted thoughts then, and he looked up to see his two fathers flying through the air as if they weighed nothing more than a couple of feathers. Crashing into the far wall, they plummeted to the ground like lead paperweights, noisily knocking over various bits of furniture in the process. In a desperate attempt to escape, Wyatt had telekinetically thrown his two fathers backwards out of range, and Chris was just in time to see the tail end of his brother's orb as he disappeared in an incongruous mixture of black and blue lights.

Excalibur still clutched in his hand, Chris immediately orbed out after his fleeing sibling, while his chagrined fathers scrambled to their feet and dusted themselves off. By the time Chris caught up with him, Wyatt had already managed to get the front door open, and was now desperately trying to remove the crystalline defences that trapped him inside the Manor. His eyes were narrowed in deep concentration as he focused all of his brother's telekinetic power on the task.

Chris knew that they'd built the crystal cage to withstand this, but he felt a flicker of alarm run through him nevertheless. Wyatt was a thousand times more disciplined than he was when it came to this kind of thing. While he'd pushed his power to the limits of its endurance when they'd been testing out the cage, there was always the slim chance that his brother could better that. That had to be avoided at all costs. Wyatt could not be allowed to roam free. It would be an absolute disaster.

Without even pausing to think about what he was doing, Chris held up his free hand in front of his face, palm facing stiffly outwards.

"STOP!" he commanded harshly, a kind of unearthly authority shimmering in that one, single word.

Wyatt felt himself jerked backwards like a puppet on a string, helplessly subservient to his own implacable power. "Let me go!" he grated from between clenched teeth, fighting with all his strength against the unbending restraints.

"NO!" Chris set his jaw and stubbornly refused to yield.

Locked in a titanic struggle, the two brothers contended against each other in a supreme battle of wills. They were more evenly matched than either of them had realised. Wyatt's power was the greater certainly, but Chris's was nothing to sniff at either. In the right set of circumstances, the weaker could overcome the stronger; it was just a case of finding the most vulnerable point of attack.

Finally understanding why he'd never been able to persuade his brother to join him, Wyatt experienced a brief, irrational moment of anger. He quickly shook it off though, and seized upon his advantage with ruthless resolve. The power that Chris was using against him was his own, and he therefore knew exactly where to strike. A surge of triumph bubbled up inside of him as he sensed that his brother was weakening. Just a little bit longer, he thought wildly, and then…

"What the hell did you do that for?" Chris demanded of his father as Wyatt slumped heavily to the ground, felled by a judiciously thrown handful of sleep dust.

Future Leo shot his son a rather startled look. "I acquired some more this afternoon," he explained, holding up the empty pouch in his hand. "I thought it might be prudent under the circumstances. We have to return to the future soon, and I don't want him fighting me on that. He could ruin everything if he interferes."

Chris nodded, unable to disagree with his father's logic. "Sorry," he said, apologising for his peremptory tone with a deprecating shrug. "I was just, umm…"

He looked over at his snoring older brother and coloured slightly. He wasn't normally so competitive, that was more Wyatt's thing. He had wanted to win this particular contest at all costs however.

"It's all right, I think I get the picture," Future Leo remarked with a smile. "Try not to let it overwhelm you though," he continued in a more serious tone. "This is what I warned you about. Wyatt's power is not yours to keep, so don't get too used to the way it feels. You have to be prepared to hand it back when the time comes."

Chris nodded solemnly. "I know," he said, "And I will, I promise."

"You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure."

"Good." Future Leo said with a satisfied nod.

"When will you leave?" Present Leo asked his future counterpart.

Future Leo looked thoughtfully at the sleeping Wyatt and then back at his other self. "Tomorrow afternoon," he decided. "That should give us enough time."

"Enough time for what?" Piper asked, as she came down the stairs with little Wyatt in her arms and Prue and Phoebe behind her. Paige had orbed downstairs with the two Leos a short while earlier.

"It's important that we maintain the element of surprise," Future Leo explained, "But Chris needs some sword training before he goes up against Alcathan." He turned to address his present self again. "Alagon should be able to help with that," he suggested.

Present Leo nodded. "I'll go and find him," he replied, and then orbed out in search of their Elder friend.

"But Dad," Chris objected, "I've already had sword training."

"Not enough," Leo told him firmly. "I let Alagon teach you the basics as a boy because I couldn't stand your whining pleas any longer. That's as far as your training ever went however. Wyatt was the only one who received proper combat training."

"I did not whine," Chris protested with a dull flush.

Leo raised his eyebrows in a sceptical expression. "No?"

Chris's face broke into a wry grin. "Okay, so I whined," he conceded, "But can you blame me? Wyatt got to do all the super cool things and, most of the time, I had to sit on the sidelines and watch."

"Oh I know, you were so deprived," Leo commiserated. "But for some strange reason, your Mom preferred to shield you from harm whenever possible. I think she always knew that she would have to let Wyatt spread his wings as he grew older. But I guess she was hoping that she could keep you a little closer to home."

Chris nodded sadly. It was something that he'd always been aware of. Piper had loved him and his brother equally, but the relationship he shared with his Mom had been completely different to that which had existed between her and Wyatt. Their close relationship had earned him 'Mommy's boy' taunts every once in a while, but he hadn't really cared all that much. She'd held him close but not so tightly that he couldn't breathe.

He'd been lucky really; it had been one of the main things that had sustained him throughout these last few dark years. He'd promised his Mom that he'd be brave, that he'd fight for what was right, and he'd been determined not to let her down. He hoped that if he'd achieved nothing else, he'd made her proud of him.

"I'm sure you have," Phoebe reassured him, and he stared at her in astonishment. He'd taken the empathy-blocking potion months ago – how was she still able to read him?

"The strongest emotions still come through," she quietly answered his unspoken question, even as she'd responded to his unvoiced thoughts.

"Err – excuse me, lady?" Paige stared at her sister in outrage. "How come you failed to mention that?"

Phoebe smiled, a small, enigmatic smile. "A girl has to have some secrets," she said coyly.

Paige turned to her other sister. "Are you hearing this?" she demanded indignantly.

"Yes," Piper responded rather tiredly, "But it's really beside the point right now, don't you think?"

Paige sighed. "I guess," she agreed. "We're gonna have long talk when all this over though, missy," she said with a significant look at Phoebe.

Her sister shrugged. "If you say so," she said, "But, right now, we need to get Mr Sleeping Beauty over there back up to the attic. I don't know about you, but I'd really rather avoid any more Harry Houdini acts."

Paige nodded and crossed to kneel down by her nephew. Lightly touching his arm, she orbed him upstairs in a swirl of blue lights. The rest of them followed, Prue and Phoebe hitching a ride with Future Leo and Piper transported by the little boy in her arms.

"Mommy'd prefer a little more warning before you do that, sweetie," she said rather breathlessly when she re-materialised in the attic a few moments later. "It doesn't do her nerves any good when you just orb her out like that, you know."

Wyatt giggled and gave her a toothy grin as she set him down in his playpen. His blue eyes were full of mischief and she was once again struck by how much wiser than his years that he sometimes appeared to be.

Emerging out of his own orb, Chris felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. Groping behind him for the sofa arm, he sank wearily down onto the lumpy cushions, wincing slightly when sharp, stabbing pains from the athame wound on his belly assaulted him. When the adrenaline was flowing, he seemed to be able to combat the effects of the poison leeching away at his physical strength. As soon as those hormone levels dropped though, he struggled to even hold his head up. Resting Excalibur across his lap, he closed his eyes and breathed deeply in an attempt to calm the sudden nausea roiling in his stomach.

"I think it's best if we keep him asleep," he dimly heard Future Leo say in the background, and he forced his eyes open with effort.

Wyatt was safely back inside his crystal cage. His solicitous family had placed his sleeping form on the futon provided for his use, and then covered him with the brightly patterned coverlet to keep him warm. Although he knew that any kind of reconciliation between them was highly unlikely, Chris felt a sharp pang of regret at the way he and his brother were to part company. There was a bigger, more pressing consequence that he also had to consider however.

Wyatt was the only one who knew how to save him, for Chris now believed that his brother had been telling the truth about that. He would die unless Wyatt healed him, and he didn't want to die, not now, not after everything. If he succeeded in what he came to the past to achieve, he wanted the right to reap the reward. He wanted to know his family again, know his brother again. He wanted to be with Bianca in a world where they weren't constantly looking over their shoulders, fearful of attack. All in all, he wanted to be happy again. It wasn't that much to ask was it?

Every bit of energy he expended sapped his dwindling strength even further though. Even if he did make it through the upcoming battle with Alcathan, would he have the physical strength to tell his family what was happening to him? Or would the after-effects take away his ability to speak? He had to tell someone now, before it was too late, he just had to…

A kind of dreamy lassitude came over him. He closed his eyes as a ghostly finger brushed against his lips, silencing his thoughts. Not now, not yet, it warned. Wait. If you tell now, they'll stop you, and you wouldn't want that, would you?

"No," Chris murmured absently.

"No what?" a familiar voice asked, and he opened his eyes to find his Aunt Prue standing over him.

"Nothing, I err… nothing," he stammered in confusion.

"I don't suppose I need to ask how you're doing?" Prue said, as she sat down beside him and laid a sympathetic hand on his forearm. "Freaked, huh?"

"You could say that," Chris admitted with a wry twist of his lips.

"Being scared is a good thing," she assured him.

"It is?" Chris sounded distinctly sceptical about that. "How'd you figure that?"

"It stops you from getting too complacent," she explained.

"I don't think there's much chance of that," Chris remarked.

"Well good, because in my experience, overconfident, cocky people tend to make costly mistakes. I'd remember that if I were you. It could be to your advantage."

"I don't understand."

"Well, from what I've learnt about Alcathan," Prue said, "He has an ego the size of San Francisco, the whole of America even. He thinks he's invincible, basically, and that's not necessarily a good attitude to have. He thought he could control Wyatt, but he was wrong. He's going to look at you and see a bug that he can crush under his foot…"

"Thanks for the image," Chris cut in sardonically.

Prue shot him a brief smile. "But he's wrong about that too," she told him firmly. "You're a Halliwell; you have Charmed power on your side. Plus, you were born from the most stubborn, wilful woman that I have ever known. You have great genes and, more importantly, a brother's love. People do amazing, impossible things for love, you know. As long as you keep that in mind, Alcathan can never win. It will be his downfall either way."

"I'm glad you think so."

"I don't think so – I know so."

Chris smiled. "And now who's overconfident?" he teased.

Prue reached out and cupped the side of his face in her hand. "Honey, it's not overconfidence, it's certainty. Believe me, we've already won."

She leaned forward and kissed him lightly on the cheek then. "Now, go and take a nap, okay?" she instructed in a peremptory tone. "You look tired and you've got a long way to go before all this is over."

Chris nodded, and obediently dragged himself to his feet. His legs didn't feel quite so shaky now, but he desperately needed to rest. Knowing that he didn't have the strength to orb, he descended the attic steps on foot, went into his room and crawled into bed. He was fast asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Prue sighed sadly as she watched her nephew leave, then turned back to find Future Leo's grave eyes upon her. She gave him a small smile and he crossed to join her. "You heard that?" she asked him.

Leo nodded. "You have quite a way with words," he said quietly as he sat down beside her on the sofa.

"I learned from the best," she replied, shooting him a warm smile. "I'm not sure he really understood what I was trying to say though."

Leo looked at her, his blue-green eyes full of sorrow. "Perhaps that's just as well," he said gruffly.

"But you understand?" she enquired after a beat.

"I understand that win or lose, a different future's already been guaranteed. Chris sacrificed everything to come here, and Wyatt just gambled his entire future in an attempt to shield his brother from harm. If Alcathan kills Chris tomorrow, then he's done the one thing that will forever put Wyatt beyond his reach. He will not be turned by his brother's murderer, no matter what happens. It will give him the strength to resist, I'm sure of it. Alcathan won't be dead, obviously, and Wyatt will still be vulnerable, but it's better than nothing, I suppose."

"If Chris wins though, all will be as it should be," Prue reminded him.

Leo nodded. "I know, I guess what's really to be decided tomorrow is which path the new future is going to take."

"And I think we both know which option we prefer when it comes to that," Prue remarked softly, curling her fingers into his and giving his hand a gentle squeeze.

"Yes, I think we do," Leo responded quietly. In spite of the consequences to himself, it was a sacrifice that he was more than willing to make. For his boys, he would do pretty much anything, and that included giving up his life…

**OOOOOO**

Wyatt was dreaming. Not nice, safe, soothing dreams. Painful, horrible, thought-provoking ones.

His Mom was dead. Cold and lifeless on the kitchen floor. His little brother - his green eyes stark in the midst of his pale face - covered head to toe in her blood. It stained his hands, his arms, the front of his t-shirt, a bright, scarlet red.

Wyatt desperately wanted to throw up.

Then there was his father, white as a sheet, but somehow still functioning even though the love of his life was gone, snatched away from them in the most horrible and violent way imaginable. He carried on out of love though, love for his sons, the children that he now had sole responsibility for…

The Manor was gone then, forever behind him. He stood now in the cool, still darkness of an underground cavern, his heart dead and his soul hovering on the brink of destruction…

"Your connection to your family has always held you back."

"Tell me something I don't know."

"So rid yourself of their binding shackles forever. Cast the enchantment."

"Okay," he agreed. "Not Chris though," he amended as an afterthought. His brother was still within reach, he could walk by their side, share all the riches that they were about to reap.

"You must…"

"He can be useful to us."

"He doesn't have your power."

"No, but he's not powerless either. He just needs training. I can persuade him to help us; I know I can…"

The sands of time shifted once again…

He stood atop the Golden Gate Bridge, his unruly mane of dirty blonde hair ruffling in the wind. Somewhere deep inside his fear of heights still plagued him, but he pointedly ignored it. Fear meant weakness and this was something he had to do…

"I should have never trusted you," his brother hurled the accusation at him, hurt and pain standing out clearly in his green eyes.

"It was necessary, Chris."

His brother scoffed. "Like all this is necessary?" he demanded, gesturing wildly at the rusting ruins of the once-magnificent Bridge that they were standing on. "Now _that_ I'll never believe."

"It was for your own good," he insisted. Why was his brother so pig-headed? Why couldn't he just see? It was so much better this way.

Chris laughed, a cold, wintry laugh. "No Wyatt, it was for yours. For your own twisted sense of what is _necessary_." He spat the last word out with sarcastic venom.

"Chris…"

"Oh, don't worry. I won't make the same mistake again. I thought that I could bring you back, but you're just too far gone, aren't you?"

"It doesn't have to be this way, you know."

Chris shook his head sadly. "Yes, Wyatt. It does. But you just don't see that, do you? I may have a blind spot when it comes to you, but you're the one with his eyes glued shut. I'm not your puppet. This is my life; I make my own choices. _You_ may have turned your back on everything that our family stands for, but I _never_ will. You're wasting your time if you think otherwise."

Wyatt stared at his brother, his blue eyes openly incredulous. Was he really that naive? He'd been gentle thus far. Did Chris honestly think that he'd be able to resist if he turned up the heat, twisted the thumbscrews a little?

"And talking of wasting time," Chris went on, oblivious to his sibling's dark thoughts. "I think we're done here," And, with that, he disappeared in a plume of blue lights.

"Oh no brother," Wyatt said in a cold, deadly voice. "We will _never_ be done."

_We will never be done…_

"You must destroy him now!"

He clenched his fists, fighting to stay in control. "I said no!"

"He'll never be one of us, Wyatt. Can't you see that? He is distracting you from our goal. Set this obsession with turning your brother aside. Let him go or I'll..."

"Or you'll what, Alcathan?" he quickly interrupted

"Or I'll have to take steps," the demon responded.

"Try it and you'll be sorry, old man."

"You dare to defy me?" Alcathan's voice rose to a roar. "Don't you know who I am? What I'm capable of?"

Wyatt rolled his eyes. He'd ceased to be impressed by the amateur dramatics months ago. "Last time I checked, you were some washed up, ugly-ass demon who can't rule the Underworld without my help!" he shot back cruelly. "So, unless you prefer to live in some rat-infested sewer, then I suggest you remember which side your bread's buttered. I think a little adjustment in the hierarchy here is well overdue, don't you?"

"You will not get away with this, boy," his compatriot warned him in an ominous tone.

"No? Just watch me, man. Just watch me."

_We will never be done…_

"Where is he, Bianca?"

"Where _you_ can't find him!"

"You're trying my patience, honey. It's not a good idea to do that."

"Well, nothing new there then. You're just a big bully deep down, aren't you Wyatt?"

"You know, I've never really understood exactly what it is my brother sees in you, girl. I mean, you're easy on the eye; I'll give you that. But, personality wise? I would say a little improvement is in order, sweetheart."

"Says the guy with the personality of a block of wood. Chris is ten times the man you'll ever be and you know it."

"I know he's an irritating little ass."

"Ha! But he out-smarted you this time, didn't he huh?"

"Maybe, but it's only over when the fat lady sings. Remember that. There is a long way to go yet, baby. A long, long way…"

_We will never be done…_

"Es tu, Chris? Of all the people to betray me."

"I wasn't trying to betray you, Wyatt. I was trying to save you."

_We will never be done…_

"I don't need you."

_We will never be done…_

"Whatever else you've become, Wyatt, she's still your mother and she still loves you, even if you don't deserve it."

"Good thing you're not so sentimental then, isn't it?"

"But that's the thing, I am that sentimental. Love is the hardest thing to let go of, Wyatt - as I think you well know."

"In your dreams, Dad."

"No son, in yours."

_We will never be done…_

"Why are you doing this?" he asked of his brother. Something inside him needed to know.

Chris paused for a moment before he answered that fateful question. "Because you're family," he said. "Because I know that the person you've become isn't really the true you, that the brother I used to have still exists inside you somehow. And because I love you, I guess."

_We will never be done. _

_Never, ever be done…._

**OOOOOO**

_**The following afternoon…**_

One hand clutching his stomach, Chris leant over the toilet-bowl and retched until his eyes watered from the effort. It was getting harder and harder to keep going, to stay focused on the task at hand. His arm and shoulder ached from the relentless sword training, while his eyes were gritty from lack of sleep. The pain from the athame wound was almost constant now, ranging from a dull ache to an agony that almost crippled him. And yet, he still felt that strange compulsion not to speak, to keep his suffering to himself.

Struggling to his feet, he staggered over to the sink and looked at his reflection in the bathroom mirror. Remarkably, his appearance on the outside did not reflect the ravages on the inside. He looked pale and tired, but other than that, you wouldn't know that his body was slowly destroying itself. Just a few hours more, he thought, and then it would all be over. Just a few hours more and then, for good or for ill, he would finally be able to rest. He could lay down his weary head, close his eyes and just sleep, sleep…

"Honey, are you okay in there?" his mother's voice came through the locked door, jerking him back into reality.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he lied quickly. "I'll be out in a minute."

"All right, don't take too long. Future Le… I mean your Dad will be leaving soon."

"Sure and umm… Mom?"

"Yes?"

Tell her, something in him screamed.

"I err…"

You'll regret it if you do, that nameless voice immediately countered.

"Chris?"

He sighed. "I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what?"

"Everything, I guess."

"You're welcome, sweetie."

He could hear the gentle, loving smile in her voice even though he couldn't see it on her face and he felt involuntary tears fill his eyes in response.

"I love you, Mom," he whispered as her footsteps retreated. "And I'm so sorry, so very sorry…"

**OOOOOO**

**_The Attic, ten minutes later…_**

Future Leo looked at his son. "Well, good luck," he said bracingly, even though inside his emotions were in shreds.

Chris nodded; his expressive eyes a myriad of conflicting feelings.

Leo cleared his throat and moved stiffly forward. "Goodbye was hard enough the first time," he said, "So I think I'm just gonna…" He drew his boy into a hug and held him tightly. "I love you, son."

"I love you too, Dad." Chris's voice cracked over the words. "And I'm sorry."

Leo drew back and looked deeply into his son's emerald green eyes. "For what?"

"I just wish…" Chris trailed off with a shrug, his eyes moving to rest on the still comatose Wyatt.

Leo nodded. "I think we all do," he said, "But unfortunately this is the way it has to be."

Chris forced a wan smile. "Yeah," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "I guess it is. Just tell him that I… Tell him…"

"I'll tell him," Future Leo promised when his son faltered in what he was trying to articulate. He squared his shoulders and drew in a deep breath. "Okay, let's do this," he said resignedly.

With tears in their eyes, the four Charmed Ones recited the spell that would open the portal to the future for the final time. Ethereally illuminated by the cosmic gateway behind him, Future Leo bent at the knees, pulled Wyatt's arm across his shoulders and then heaved his son's sleeping form upright.

"I guess this is goodbye then," he said.

With a dry sob, Piper rushed forward, baby Wyatt perched on her hip, and kissed both him and her slumbering grown-up son with an almost desperate need. "I love you," she said tearfully.

Future Leo nodded. "I know. Take care of our boys, okay?" he said, briefly placing his hand over her rounded belly and then stroking little Wyatt's cheek with the crook of his forefinger. "Give them the life that they deserve whatever happens."

"We will, you know we will."

"I never had any doubts," Future Leo said with a soft, gentle smile. Then, with one last, lingering look at Chris, he orbed himself and Wyatt into the shimmering portal behind him and was gone.

As the light from the portal slowly faded, Present Leo moved to stand behind Chris, placing his hands lightly on the young man's shoulders. "Okay son?" he asked gently.

Chris sucked in a breath, and then turned to face him. "Yes," he replied, although his voice was shaking and silent tears ran freely down his cheeks. "I'm okay."

He paused for a beat and then lifted his gaze from his feet to look his father directly in the eye. "It's time, isn't it?" he said.

Leo regarded him solemnly. "Only if you're ready," he eventually answered.

Chris thought about it for a moment and then nodded. "I'm ready," he decided firmly.

Walking over to the dark-wood armoire that stood against one wall, he picked up Excalibur from its polished surface and held it up in front of his face.

"Okay, let's finish this," he declared with steely determination...

_**To be continued…**_

_**A/N2:** Because I know some of you will probably ask - we haven't quite heard the last from Future Leo and Wyatt yet. There will be some pay-off between father and son, and between Future Wyatt and Chris as well, I promise. You'll have to wait until next time to see how it all pans out though. _

_So until then…_

_XX_


	35. The Power of Two

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hey! I've just had a week off work and have therefore had much more free time to write. So, as well as posting the first chapter of my new story 'A Rift in Time,' I've also had time to complete the next part of this one :-)

So, here it is then. The chapter we've been building towards for the last I don't know how many parts and nearly as many months too. I'm a little bit nervous about posting it actually. I hope it fulfils everyone's expectations. It chops and changes POV quite a bit but I think that keeps the momentum going. Oh and there's one bad word in it, but our hero is rather angry!

So, with no further ado then, let the final battle commence…

**OOOOOO**

_**Chapter 35 – The Power of Two**_

**_Late afternoon, Chicago…_**

Stacey Macklin stood at the large picture window of her friend Paul's second floor apartment, gazing out over the street below with unseeing eyes. It was raining, a cold, wet drizzle that filled the air outside with a chill humidity that you could taste on your tongue each time you opened your mouth. A constant procession of brightly coloured umbrellas moved like a multi-hued centipede along the rain-drenched sidewalk as the city's population went about their day-to-day business, utterly oblivious to the momentous events taking place in a co-existing but largely unseen plane of reality.

Stacey wasn't interested in the weather however. Nor was she too bothered about the bustling activity in the busy, residential street two storeys below. Her mind was on other things, her thoughts far away. She was one of the limited few that lived in that aforementioned reality, you see. A hidden reality filled with witches, demons and other such wonders and nightmares of nature; a reality where a lone young man was willing to sacrifice his very life so that the uninitiated could live on in blissful ignorance.

Her last phone call from Chris had been that morning, hours ago now. He'd told her that his battle with Alcathan would take place that night, and her heart had been filled with dread ever since. She'd always known when the next call would come before this. Now though, she was forced to kill time and wait for the phone to ring and bring her the news that she hoped for.

If the phone rang, that was.

She shuddered and drew the cream, woollen shawl she was wearing closer around her shoulders in an attempt to ward off the psychosomatic chill. Chris had sounded tired on the phone, and he was ominously evasive when she'd questioned him about the state of his physical health. Guilt weighed heavily on her mind. She'd let herself be talked around too easily, let the strength of Chris's convictions overwhelm her better judgement. What was happening to him shouldn't be kept secret, she realised that now, his family needed to know before it was too late…

The scrapping sound of a key in the lock pulled her out of her dark thoughts, and she turned to see Paul enter the apartment with a couple of bags of groceries tucked under one arm. He smiled at her in greeting, and then crossed to deposit his cargo on the black, marble-effect counter that divided the kitchen from the lounge space in the apartment's open-plan living and dining area.

"Coffee?" he asked, after he had shrugged off his wet coat and hung it up in the closet near the front door.

Stacey nodded. "Please," she responded quietly, and then turned back to her contemplation of the rain-swept world outside.

She didn't know how long she stood there, listening to the sounds of Paul unpacking the groceries in the kitchen behind her. It couldn't have been long, but she was still a little startled when he reached around her body and placed a steaming mug of coffee in her hands.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, his breath pleasantly warm against the back of her neck.

Stacey sighed. "I'm not sure what there is to say," she said, half-turning towards him and sitting down on the low, cushioned bench that ran the length of the long window.

Paul sat down facing her, his knees brushing hers and his left arm resting along the windowsill beside her. After taking a sip of his drink, he set his coffee mug aside and reached out to tuck a few stray strands of her hair behind her ear. His fingers were gentle and she leaned into his touch almost without thinking about it.

"We can go to San Francisco if you want," he offered quietly.

"What about the Art conference?"

Paul shrugged. "It's not important."

Stacey smiled in spite of herself. "I thought you said it was the perfect opportunity to drum up some extra business for your studio."

"It is, but that's just work. This is you and there's nothing more important than that – not to me anyway."

Stacey felt her cheeks flush and she lowered her gaze with an uncharacteristic show of shyness. She still couldn't quite believe what a difference her confession had made to their friendship.

She'd always liked Paul, but had always held him at arm's length too. He'd been her place to retreat to when the rigors of her daily life became too much for her. She hadn't let him into her everyday existence because she'd wanted to preserve that oasis of calm for those times when she needed an escape. By necessity, their relationship had always been strictly platonic therefore – he was her confidante, her sounding board. He gave her an unbiased opinion because he didn't know every last detail of her life.

Things had changed between them over the last day or so though. Paul had taken her confession about being a witch remarkably well. Although shocked at first, his curiosity soon got the better of him and he'd questioned her with interest about everything that it entailed. He hadn't fainted dead away when she'd demonstrated her fire-starting ability either - although he had looked a little wild around the eyes, she remembered with an inward smile.

The biggest change had come on a more personal level though. It was as if the floodgates had suddenly opened between them and they were connecting in an entirely different way to how they had done before. Paul's calm acceptance of who she was made Stacey look at him with new eyes, and he himself acted as if he'd finally found the answer to a question that he'd been asking himself for years.

"I'd always wondered why," he'd remarked thoughtfully just before she'd gone to bed the previous night.

"Wondered what?" she'd asked, pausing at the door of the spare bedroom as they bid each other goodnight.

"Why you were so closed off," he'd replied. "You've always held a part of yourself back from me. I guess I figured it was just because…" He'd trailed off then with a small, deprecating shrug. "Well, never mind…"

"Paul?"

He's shaken his head at her. "Get some sleep, Stacey. We'll talk again in the morning."

And talked they had – about Chris and what was happening back in San Francisco, because she didn't think she could explain away her obvious distraction in any other way. Most of all though, they talked about the two of them - their hopes and dreams, plans for the future, all of that. She discovered there was a whole lot more to Paul than she'd actually ever realised. Sure, he was the same spiritual and introspective guy that she'd always known, but he was also funny and gregarious too, a facet of his personality that had, until now, largely passed her by.

"Stacey?" Paul's voice was quiet and reflective in tone, and she lifted her gaze in response to the slightly hesitant way in which he spoke her name.

"I'm sorry I shouldn't have said that," he apologised.

Stacey regarded him steadily, a vague sense of disappointment stirring in her belly. "You shouldn't?" she asked in a voice that barely rose above a whisper.

Paul self-consciously looked away from her penetrating gaze. "No, I…" He let out his breath in mild exasperation and then looked back at her. "Should I?" he asked with an expectant hope shining in the rich caramel hue of his eyes.

Stacey's answer was to lean over and kiss him, and it felt like the most natural thing in the world. Paul, however, was much more wary of the situation.

"Stacey," he said, pulling back from her, "I can't do this. Not if… what about this Chris?"

Stacey smiled. "What about him?" she said, reaching for him again.

Unfortunately, Paul wasn't so easily reassured and he held up his hands to ward her off. "You obviously care about him," he pointed out.

Stacey nodded. "Yes, but he's a friend, nothing more. I can't really explain why exactly. I guess maybe it's because he's best friends with my baby niece in the future. It sort of reminds me exactly how old he is..."

"And you're not a cradle-snatcher," Paul finished for her.

Stacey laughed. "No, and even if I was, I don't think there'd be anything between us anyway. Chris is a great guy but he's not really my type."

Paul nodded. "And you're not just saying that?" he double-checked.

"Do you honestly think I would lie to you?" Stacey asked.

Paul shook his head. "No, no, I'm sorry. I just… I've wanted this for a long time, Stacey," he confessed.

"Why did you never say anything?" she asked him.

Paul shrugged. "I didn't think you were ready to hear it."

Stacey sighed. "You were probably right about that," she told him.

Paul cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her face so that she was forced to look him in the eye. "Question is, are you ready now?" he asked solemnly.

Stacey looked at him, considering the ramifications carefully, knowing that this might be the most crucial decision of her entire life. "Yes, yes, I reckon I am," she eventually concluded.

Paul's answering smile was like the sun coming up. "Well finally," he said and pulled her back into the circle of his arms, his previous hesitancy cast by the wayside.

Stacey's heart was hammering ten to the dozen when he finally released her. His kisses were both electric and soothing at the same time. They set off a storm of butterflies in her stomach, but also filled her with a warm contented glow. How could she have been so blind? She'd searched far and wide for the right man, and he'd been right under her nose the entire time.

She smiled warmly at him and then buried her face in the soft skin of his throat, breathing in of his spicy, masculine scent as she wrapped her arms around his back. Paul tenderly kissed the top of her head and stroked her hair, holding her to him with a kind of gentle possessiveness that she knew she could get used to with little or no persuasion whatsoever.

"So – do you want to go back to San Francisco?" he asked her.

Stacey lifted her head and nodded. "Yes, I need to… Chris's family have to know what's going on and I think I ought to tell them in person. You don't have to come though – it might be dangerous. We'll be walking back into a magical war zone."

"Forget that, I'm coming with you," Paul told her firmly. "You don't get away from me that easily, you know."

Stacey shot him a rather whimsical look. "I hope not," she said in a bashful tone.

Paul cupped her face between his hands and kissed her again, then rose purposely to his feet. "Go and pack your things," he instructed, "And I'll organise us a flight."

As Stacey retreated into the bedroom to gather up her scattered possessions, she wondered how she'd ever gotten by without him…

**OOOOOO**

_**Magic School…**_

"If he's a bit fretful, give him his cup with some warm milk in," Piper instructed. "That usually settles him off. If that doesn't work though, he likes it if you sing to him – 'Twinkle, twinkle little star' is his favourite, but other nursery rhymes work as well."

She stopped and looked sharply at the older woman standing opposite her. "You can sing, can't you?" she demanded.

"Piper," Leo said with gentle remonstrance. "Everything will be fine."

"Of course it will," Professor Machinsky remarked reassuringly. "Won't it, sweetheart?" she went on, reaching out and quite deliberately taking little Wyatt out of his over anxious mother's arms.

"We're going to give you a nice bath, read you a little story and then tuck you up for the night, aren't we honey?" she said, jigging the toddler up and down in her arms with the expertise of one who looked after children on a regular basis.

"But…" Piper began to protest, but the other woman abruptly cut off her objection.

"Young lady, I've taken care of more children than you've had hot dinners," she told the dark-haired witch in a no nonsense tone. "I'm a mother to four and a grandmother to seven - your son will be just fine."

"Thanks Laura," Leo said, steering his antsy wife towards the door with a firm hand against the small of her back.

"No problem," the witch responded warmly. "Wave goodbye to Mommy and Daddy now," she said to the small boy in her arms.

Wyatt lifted his tiny hand and obediently waved as his parents left the room. "Bye, bye," he said in his piping little voice.

The door closed behind Piper and Leo with a soft click and the toddler turned his big, blue eyes onto his babysitter. "'Iss," he said in a solemn tone.

Laura Machinsky smoothed her hand over the baby's blond curls and kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Yes," she agreed with a deep sigh. "Good Luck Chris."

**OOOOOO**

_**The Manor…**_

Chris was pacing and Paige felt dizzy just watching him. She exchanged an anxious look with Phoebe and then sighed. As much as she hated to admit it, there wasn't much that they could do to help right now. They could provide Chris with as much back up as possible, keep their enemy's demonic underlings out of his hair maybe. Ultimately, though, he would be facing Alcathan alone - a lone warrior against the might of the entire Underworld.

Phoebe watched her nephew's nervous pacing with a sickening ball of dread lying like lead in the pit of her stomach. When Chris had first shown up in their lives, he'd been an irritation, an interloper who had effectively stolen Leo's beloved presence from them. She was ashamed to think about the bitter resentment that had stirred within them, the blame that she and her sisters had heaped upon him when all he'd been trying to do was to save their family from a fate worse than death.

Chris had not held it against them however, but somehow that just made it worse. Now, she loved her quirky young nephew with every fibre of her being and the thought of losing him was just… No, she shook her head, pushing back those negative thoughts. Chris could do this – he had to – everything in their lives depended on his success.

A twinkling orb sound announced Piper and Leo's return from Magic School then, and each and every eye in the room immediately swung towards them.

Prue looked gravely at her sister and brother-in-law, her heart going out to them as they faced the possibility that no parent should ever have to face. Piper's face was pale, her brown eyes shadowed with unimaginable fear. Leo appeared calmer, but the tense set of his jaw and the dark expression in his blue-green eyes shouted out his underlying concern for anyone with eyes to see.

Prue hated to think what this situation must be doing to the two of them. Her own fears for her nephew's safety were nothing compared to theirs. She was just his Aunt – and a dead one at that - they were his Mom and Dad and to lose a child was the worst thing that could happen to any parent.

She knew that Piper and Leo would never forgive themselves if anything went wrong, but she also knew that they didn't really have any other choice. A risk had to be taken, a risk to save the future, to save Wyatt and, in some strange way, Chris as well. Otherwise, his quest to the past would be for nothing and he'd fought too long to fall at the final hurdle.

A strange kind of calm descended over Chris on his parent's return. The waiting had been the worst part, the tension building inside of him brick by brick until his head was verily spinning with it. Now though, now was the time to act, to do what must be done. One way or another, his long, painful journey was finally at an end.

"You ready?" Leo asked him tersely and he nodded, adjusting his grip on Excalibur and drawing on his reserves of courage as he prepared to face down the ultimate foe.

"I'm ready," he told his father assuredly.

Leo nodded somewhat curtly. "Let's do this then," he declared, reluctance clearly evident in the subtle nuances of his voice.

Piper closed her eyes, trying to starve off the threatening tears. "Please keep my son safe," she whispered to anyone who would listen.

"Please..."

**OOOOOO**

_**In the Underworld…**_

Something wasn't right.

An ominous kind of expectation hung heavy in the dank air around him. Something was about to happen; something unexpected, only Alcathan didn't know what it was…

"Any word?" he demanded curtly of his faithful right hand.

Nazcheck had proved his worth in recent weeks, rising through the ranks of the darklighter army with a swiftness only reserved for the most fanatical. He was cruel, delighted in torture, and was everything a good underling should be - brave, loyal and above all, the very definition of evil.

He'd taken particular exception to the fact that the Halliwell boy had duped him into believing he was a fellow darklighter recruit, and had set the trap for the young witch-whitelighter with barely concealed relish. It was an act that had earned him the ultimate promotion when it was done. The post's prior occupant had not liked the situation, of course, but Nazcheck had taken care of that little difficulty with the serrated edge of his hunting knife, and Alcathan's previous general had protested no more.

The demon did not mourn his passing. He could not have the mysterious Halliwell boy interfering with his plans. It was necessary to take steps to remove him permanently from the game. Nazcheck had been given the task of administering that chastisement and it was appropriate that he received his reward. Although Nazcheck had been the one to carry out their nefarious plan, it was Alcathan himself who had come up with the means of disposal. The poison he'd developed for the purpose was slow acting, painful and universally fatal.

It was the perfect sleight of hand. While the Charmed Ones were preoccupied trying to save their future relative, he would steal Wyatt out from under their noses and infect the child with the beginnings of an evil that would grow inside of him like a twisting vine, until it had no other option but to break free of its constraints. Then, after a centenary or more of waiting, the Ultimate Power would finally be his.

"I'm still waiting to hear, master," Nazcheck answered his earlier question in a respectful tone. "The witches have barely left the Manor in the last couple of days."

Alcathan nodded in satisfaction. "Which is good news in itself," he said. "The boy is obviously weakening and they're busy playing nursemaid."

Sounds of commotion came from the adjacent underground chamber just then, followed by a series of sharp detonations and loud shouts of alarm.

"Find out what's going on," Alcathan swiftly ordered one of his personal guards.

As the leather-garbed darklighter bounded for the door however, another soldier of lesser rank almost fell over the threshold in the opposite direction, his eyes wild with fright. "We are under attack, master!" he cried. "The witches – they've come to destroy us! We're all going to die!"

"Shut up," Alcathan snapped at the gibbering darklighter. He frowned. "How did they find me? How did they know where to look?" he asked himself.

"We have a traitor in our midst, master," Nazcheck's passionate voice rang out fervently. "He must be found and brought to justice, made an example of in front of the whole brethren."

"That is no matter right now, Nazcheck," Alcathan said somewhat irritably.

"Of course, sire," the darklighter bowed his head submissively. "Should we retreat to safety before the witches break through our defences?" he enquired.

Alcathan thought about it for a moment and then shook his head. "No, let them come," he said.

"But they vanquished the Source, wise one!" the darklighter who had informed them of the impending attack unthinkingly cried out.

Without changing expression, Alcathan conjured a blazing ball of purple fire out of thin air and hurled it with deadly accuracy at his suddenly petrified underling. The darklighter emitted a shrill shriek of agony as he caught fire and quickly burnt to a pile of ash.

"The Source was a fool!" Alcathan roared at his other cohorts. "The Charmed Ones will not find _me_ such easy prey."

With a dramatic upsweep of his hands, he then called forth his demonic minions. "Where is Maljekk?" he demanded of the noticeably depleted group of Baphtor demons to his left.

"He, Kreegor and the others went to confront the boy, master," one of them answered. "They have not yet returned."

"What boy?"

"The Halliwell boy, sire."

Alcathan's eyes narrowed. "When was this?" he demanded.

"Yesterday, master."

"They are dead then. The boy must have found a way to destroy them. Question is how?"

"It sort of went like this," a droll voice said from behind him.

Alcathan whirled around just as a rushing upsurge of magical power ripped through the cavern like a tornado. The demons and darklighters standing in the path of that fatal energy wave exploded like firecrackers and vanished into nothingness. The deafening roar as the power traversed its destructive path set up a ringing in Alcathan's ear that blotted out all other sounds for several seconds.

"Who are you?" he demanded when the dust had finally settled.

"Me?" the witch-whitelighter in the doorway said almost conversationally. "I'm Revenge."

And with that, he raised his sword and charged at his enemy. Alcathan's demonic bodyguard immediately closed ranks to protect him, but were scattered to the far flung corners of the large cavern by the combined powers of the Charmed Ones and their resident Elder. Bottles of vanquishing potion came from every direction, hurled with deadly accuracy by Paige, Phoebe and Prue. Blasts of Piper's blowing-up power left a trail of vanquished demons in its wake, while blazing bolts of white-hot energy from Leo's outstretched hands picked off the rest.

Taking advantage of the general confusion around him, Nazcheck bolted for the raised dais and took a flying leap to land rather precariously on its rough-hewn surface. He ran on nimble feet to a hidden alcove cut deep into the rock wall, then reached inside and withdrew a huge wide-bladed sword from its dark interior. The weapon was steel grey in colour, the hilt coated in an ebony-hued mother of pearl type material and inlaid with dark green emeralds that glinted with a kind of malevolent fire.

"Master," he called, sending the sword spinning end over end towards his master's outstretched hand.

Alcathan deftly caught the weapon in his right hand and quickly moved to block Chris's charge with the flat of the huge blade. The two swords rang like a church bell as they clashed together in a shower of white sparks.

"You carry Excalibur," Alcathan stated the obvious, as the two circled each other like a couple of bloodhounds on the hunt. "Interesting feat that."

"Yeah, my older brother lent it to me," Chris responded in an offhand manner. "You may have heard of him actually – Wyatt Halliwell? I think they call him the Ultimate Power. He sends his regards by the way."

Chris was gratified to see a slight uncertainty pass over Alcathan's scarred features as the implications of his full identity hit home. Being a Halliwell was one thing – being the brother of the one prophesised to kill him was quite another. Their enemy quickly regained his composure however.

"You, I presume?" he asked, flickering a brief, questioning glance at Piper's pregnant belly.

Chris inclined his head in confirmation of that and a wintry smile touched the corners of Alcathan's lips.

"Not for much longer, I'd wager," he remarked shrewdly.

Taking the hint, Nazcheck pulled a long, pointed knife out of his clothing and cast it directly at Piper with a whip-like, overhand throw. With a sharp gasp, the Charmed One quickly flung up her hands in front of her face and froze the needle-like weapon in mid-air, stopping it just inches from her unprotected baby.

Leo's response was swift and immediate; a sizzling zigzag of pure energy burst forth from his palm and hit Nazcheck square in the chest. The darklighter was blasted off his feet by the impact, and he proceeded to jerk like a puppet on a string as Leo implacably held the lightening bolt upon him, effectively burning him alive. Finally, smoking from the ears and mouth, the would-be assassin crashed to the ground, his life a dying ember that petered out a short while later.

"And that was for my son," Leo grated from between clenched teeth.

Chris stared open-mouthed at his father, stunned by the cold-blooded ferocity with which the Elder had delivered his shocking retribution. Alcathan however, smiled a slow, chilling smile.

"You'd pit your wit against mine, Elder?" he challenged arrogantly.

Leo shook his head in the negative. "No, I came to watch my son do that," he replied. "How does the prophecy go again? Oh yeah - for the offspring of the Charmed Bride and her Groom of Light shall have the power to overcome him, to return him forever to the depths of hell from whence he came."

Alcathan actually laughed. "You poor, sad fool. You've sent your precious boy to his death. Only Wyatt has the power to destroy me and even then…" He left the statement hanging, the inference obvious.

"The thing is I am Wyatt," Chris interjected. "Or at least I have his power anyway. And, another thing, while we're on the subject, I'm starting to get just that little bit tired by everyone's automatic assumption that the prophecy is talking about Wyatt rather than me. I'm an offspring of the Charmed Bride and her Groom of Light too, you know."

"You're a child, and a dead one at that," Alcathan returned. "But no matter, if a fight is what you want, then a fight is what you're going to get. Prepare to learn a lesson in humility, boy."

With a grand, sweeping gesture, he drew a fiery nimbus around the two of them in a wide circle. The orange, sooty flames burned low to start with and then suddenly flared up into unbroken wall of fire. The flames then solidified and quickly lost their colour, leaving an impenetrable but transparent shield separating the two of them from the others. With a cry of dismay, Piper repeatedly tried to blast through the wall, but to no avail. Her power simply wasn't strong enough to break through the diamond-hard shield.

"I hope you enjoy watching your son die, witch," Alcathan proclaimed as he swung his sword around in a wide arc, aiming directly for Chris's unprotected face.

With an awkward twist of his wrist, Chris just managed to fend off the heavy blow and the swords clashed together with a steely clang. Agilely jumping backwards, the witch-whitelighter quickly readjusted his hold on Excalibur so that he was in a better position to defend himself. Alcathan's next attack came from a different source however. Conjuring an energy ball in his free hand, he hurled it at his opponent with a smooth, underarm cast, his aim unerring and deadly.

As Chris dove to one side to avoid the fiery weapon, the ball caught the edge of his athame wound with a glancing blow and pain like a thousand needles ricocheted throughout his body as a result. With an agonised cry, he stumbled and fell, clutching at his stomach as the pain blossomed to an excruciating crescendo.

"CHRIS!"

He couldn't tell who had screamed out his name, but it pulled him out of the mind-bending agony nevertheless. Rolling over onto his front, he scrambled back to his feet and raised Excalibur once more. The evil bastard was not going to beat him, not ever. He hadn't come this far to die like this. Whatever happened from here on in, he would fight with everything he had until the bitter end.

Setting his teeth, he rushed determinedly at his enemy; his sword held aloft and anger burning like fire in his veins. Nobody hurt his family and got away with it. Nobody…

**OOOOOO**

_**Magic School…**_

Professor Laura Machinsky closed her book with a deep sigh, then yawned and stretched, working out the kinks in her tired muscles. Pulling her robe more tightly around her, she padded from the living quarters towards the bedroom, stopping in to check on Wyatt in the adjoining nursery along the way.

The baby's cot was tucked away in the far corner of the darkened room, and although she could see the heap of blue bedclothes covering the little boy, she couldn't see Wyatt himself. Crossing to the cot, she peered over the side and her heart froze inside of her chest. The cot was empty.

After a moment of shocked inaction, she hurried into the other room and sounded the alarm…

**OOOOOO**

_**Back in the Underworld…**_

Chris was struggling. It didn't matter how hard he fought, he could feel the poison in his veins slowly leeching out his remaining strength. His arms felt heavy. Excalibur was a ten-ton weight in his hand, and the edges of his vision were starting to blur grey.

It was a patch of uneven ground near the dais that finally betrayed him. His feet went out from under him as he stumbled over the loose stones. Toppling backwards, he crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, losing his grip on Excalibur in the process. The weapon skittered across the floor and came to a stop a few metres away, well out of reach. As Chris rolled over to retrieve it, he was forestalled by a crushing weight against his chest.

Seizing on his advantage, Alcathan had brought his foot down on his opponent's torso with the might of a several ton elephant. He set the tip of his sword against the boy's throat, an exultant gleam in his dark eyes. "Nice try," he said in his dusty voice, "But not quite good enough, I'm afraid."

Ignoring the demon's taunts, Chris tried desperately to orb Excalibur towards him but to no avail. The one power of his brother's that he hadn't been able to master was the one thing that he needed to survive. A single tear ran down his cheek as he surrendered to his inevitable fate.

Sensing this, Alcathan threw back his head and laughed in cold triumph, and Chris felt a sharp sting of pain as the demon's sword cut into the soft flesh of his throat. A warm trickle of blood ran down over his Adam's apple, but he soon realised that Alcathan was toying with him. The wound was not mortal. He would not be allowed to die quietly. The demon was an expert in torture, both physical and mental. Death would be bitter and agonising, not quick and sweet.

A faint whisper of a breeze brushed lightly against his cheek then, and Chris blinked as he saw a flare of blue light in the corner of his vision. Turning his head slightly, he could just make out the small figure standing in the shadows just off to his right, and, amazingly, also inside Alcathan's protective wall. Nobody else seemed to have noticed the new arrival and Chris's heart leapt inside his chest, a blind hope filling him at the sight of his brother.

How the little boy had managed to orb himself down here without his power was something of a mystery, but a serene kind of calm came over Chris as he met Wyatt's steady gaze. There was a hint of a suggestion lurking in the depths of those familiar blue eyes, and Chris found, to his surprise, that he understood exactly what his sibling was trying to tell him. He looked at Excalibur lying a few feet away, back at Wyatt and then made his decision, the words of the spell tumbling forth from his lips in a huge rush.

"I offer up my gift to share,

Through space and time if you dare.

What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine,

Switch our powers through the air…"

**OOOOOO**

**The Original Future…**

Wyatt jerked awake with a sharp intake of breath, not sure what had awoken him but knowing that something wasn't right. He struggled to a sitting position, blinking as his eyes adjusted to the darkness around him. He could hear the faint sound of water from nearby and he frowned. Was he near the sea?

"Welcome back son."

He twisted his head and squinted in the direction of the dark shadow that was moving towards him. There was the sound of a match striking and then a burst of yellow light illuminated his surroundings. He was in a cave, not an underground one though, for he could smell the salt of the sea and see a pinprick of sunlight in the distance. Corals and water plants grew all around him and a sparkling rock pool nearby shimmered green in the light of the flickering candle.

"Dad?" he asked in confusion. "Where…?"

"Home," Leo succinctly replied. "I'm so sorry."

The Elder's tone was anguished and guilt burned strongly in his weary blue-green eyes.

"I… I don't understand," Wyatt stuttered.

"I didn't think you'd change back," Leo explained.

"Change back?"

Wyatt's eyes widened as it all crashed in on him. He looked down at his clothes – blue jeans and red sweat-top, no black in sight. His fingers sought out his hair, cropped close, no longer unruly and straggly.

"I…" He searched deep within himself, reaching out and finding the corner of his soul that was still as black as midnight.

"I haven't," he said, sure now. "At least not completely, the evil is still there. The good part is more in control right now though, whereas before it was the other way round. There's still the possibility for that to change again however."

He looked at his father with compassion and understanding in his blue eyes. "There's nothing to be sorry for," he said. "You did the right thing."

Leo nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. He'd never have forgiven himself if he'd denied his son a second chance at life when it wasn't absolutely necessary. Reaching out, he pulled his boy into a hug, tears spilling down his cheeks in a wave of sudden grief.

"I've missed you so much."

Wyatt felt his own tears burn at the back of his eyes and then something suddenly occurred to him. "Oh my god, Chris!" he gasped, jerking away from his father in horror.

"What? What is it?" Leo demanded urgently.

Wyatt opened his mouth to reply but then suddenly doubled over, falling to his knees as his insides seemed to ripple and surge like a geyser about to spout. A whirling stream of blue stars left his body in a rush and he heard the faint echo of his brother's voice from far away….

"_I offer up my gift to share, _

_Through space and time if you dare._

_What's mine is yours, what's yours is mine,_

_Switch our powers through the air…"_

"Chris," he murmured just before the world turned black…

**OOOOOO**

**_Alcathan's Underworld headquarters, back in the present…_**

As Wyatt's power left Chris's body in a torrent of blue stars, his own power travelled back through space and time and returned to its rightful place. It was like putting on a pair of comfortable old sneakers, he discovered. His brother's power had always thrown him slightly off balance, but he was himself again now.

A renewed sense of purpose filled him, the despair of a few moments ago forgotten. Momentarily stymied by the effects of the power-switching spell, Alcathan had drawn back slightly, opening himself up to attack and Chris seized upon his advantage with characteristic tenaciousness.

In the end, it was so easy. As little Wyatt orbed the sword into his outstretched hand, Chris telekinetically pulled Excalibur towards him, and their two powers melded into one, surging up the sword's blade as his fingers closed firmly around the hilt. With a rapid, upward swing of his arm, he plunged the sword into the astonished Alcathan's chest, a loud cry of effort escaping his lips as he delivered that final and fatal blow.

His aim was true. The blade slid cleanly through the demon's ribs and directly into his heart before emerging to protrude gruesomely from between his shoulder blades, its metal surface smeared with dark red blood. Doubling over, Alcathan gurgled horribly as a fountain of liquid shot forth from his mouth as his skewered heart faltered.

Temporarily letting go of Excalibur, Chris quickly rolled out of the way of that scarlet spray and scrambled to his feet in one smooth move. Lunging forward again, he took hold of the sword once more and yanked it free with a powerful twist of his wrist. Alcathan's dying shriek echoed off the dark stonewalls in a rising crescendo until he finally sank to the floor and crumbled to dust. The stunned silence that followed his fall was mind-blowingly absolute.

Although Alcathan's magical shield had vanished with his death, it was a few moments before Piper could galvanise herself into action. She'd just been on a rollercoaster ride to hell and back. When the demon had held his sword to her son's throat, her heart had stopped beating inside her chest. Then Wyatt had stepped out from behind a cluster of rocks and her terror was suddenly two-fold. The rest of the events had passed in a confused blur and it took her some time to register that it was finally over. They had won – Alcathan was dead, her children were safe.

"Sweetie, what are you doing here?" she exclaimed, sweeping up her baby boy into her arms and kissing his soft cheek.

"'Iss," Wyatt told her sadly, his blue eyes full of an emotion that she did not fully understand.

"Yes, I know but…"

Wyatt stopped her in her tracks by tugging urgently on her long, dark hair. "'Iss!" he said insistently, pointing at his brother with his little forefinger.

Piper slowly turned to look at Chris and gasped in alarm. He looked like a walking corpse; there was no other way to describe his pasty-white skin, the blue-black bruises under his eyes and the dead expression on his blank face. Then, as she watched in growing horror, Excalibur slipped with a clatter from his suddenly nerveless fingers, his eyes rolled grotesquely back into his head, and he collapsed to the floor with a dull thud, an awful, ghastly sound that reverberated around the underground cavern like the lid of a coffin slamming irrevocably shut.

"Chris," she whispered as a horrible realisation dawned. "No, my baby…"

_**To be continued…**_

_**A/N2: **Yes, I know that was a very evil cliff-hanger but it had to be done. I had to wring every last drop of drama out of this action-packed chapter, didn't I? ;-)_

_So, until next time then..._

_CharmedBec x_


	36. The End of an Era

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hiya! Quick update for you – I didn't want to keep you waiting too long after that nasty cliffhanger last time! Thanks for the fantastic response to the last part by the way – it was probably the most important one of the whole story, so I'm glad it rang true with so many readers. I don't want to give too much away about this chapter so I'm not going to say anymore. Just read on and let me know what you think…

**OOOOOO**

**_Chapter 36 – The End of an Era_**

_**The Halliwell Manor…**_

The Conservatory was empty, its surroundings frozen in time, a time that endlessly repeated itself as each generation of Halliwells came and went.

Moonlight streamed in through the windows, a cool, ethereal light that illuminated the room and its contents with an eerie, silvery glow. Scattered toys littered the floor, a half-drunk glass of lemonade stood abandoned on the sideboard, and a huge, ancient book lay open on the table to the left of the white wicker loveseat positioned under the window.

It was silent. None of the usual animated conversation, sparkling feminine laughter and childish cries echoed through the vacant rooms tonight. Outside, the air was still, the birds quiet. A hushed expectancy filled the house... waiting, hoping, waiting… for something, anything… a glimmer of hope in the midst of despair.

A faint tinkling sound broke the quiet tranquillity and a spiral of gold stars glittered in the still darkness. The warm, sparkling light gradually faded and a sheet of paper fluttered like a butterfly to the floor. Drifting under the table, it lay there unseen, forgotten... waiting, hoping, waiting… a shining beacon in a time of endless dark.

**OOOOOO**

_**In the Underworld…**_

"Chris!"

Leo was on his feet and running, stumbling over the rough ground in order to get to his stricken son. Reaching his target, he fell to his knees, pulled in his healing power and held out his hands over the boy's prostrated form. The instant the healing yellow glow touched Chris's flesh however, he jumped as if he'd been struck by lightening, and then began to convulse and jerk as if a thousand volts of electricity were surging through him. Leo quickly snatched his hands back, filled with sickened horror at what he'd inadvertently done.

"What are you doing? Why are you stopping? Heal him!"

Piper's voice was shrill and panic-stricken. Leo looked at her, his eyes dark with sudden fear. "I can't," he said. "It's making it worse."

His wife shook her head in wooden denial. "No," she insisted. "You have to heal him!"

"I think we should get him home," Prue said, quickly stepping in to take charge of the situation, seeing that neither Leo, nor Piper, were in any condition to be making rational decisions right now. "We're vulnerable down here in the Underworld."

Grateful for his sister-in-law's calm direction, Leo nodded and heaved his son's limp body up off the floor. Chris's head lolled against his shoulder and his unconsciousness made him especially heavy, but Leo ignored the resultant shaking of his arms and held on tight, cradling his son against his chest as one would a newborn baby.

"What about that?" Paige asked, looking pointedly at Excalibur, which lay abandoned on the ground nearby.

"Wyatt," Leo instructed curtly, nodding meaningfully at the discarded sword.

Little Wyatt's eyes narrowed in concentration and Excalibur disappeared in a whirl of blue lights. Leo followed with Chris immediately afterwards, the rest of the family close on his heels.

"Take him," Piper said, thrusting Wyatt at Paige as soon as they materialised back at the Manor. She then hurried forward to where Leo had just laid Chris gently down on their bed.

"What is it? What's wrong with him?" she asked, perching on the mattress beside her boy. Reaching out with trembling fingers, she brushed his hair back off his deathly white face, her eyes wide and frightened.

Leo shook his head, his grave face mirroring her own overpowering concern. "I don't know," he said with quiet despair. "I just… I don't know."

"Maybe he just exhausted himself," Phoebe suggested hopefully, knowing as soon as the trite words left her mouth how ridiculous they were. Even with no medical experience, she could see that her nephew was near to death.

"Is he still breathing?" she asked worriedly, as Leo leaned forward and expertly pressed his ear to Chris's chest, listening for sounds of fluid on his lungs.

"Just," her brother-in-law confirmed, his fingers seeking out the pulse in his son's neck.

After he'd checked the status of his heartbeat, he pulled up Chris's t-shirt and carefully examined the round burn mark on his left hip. While the energy ball injury certainly looked extremely nasty, it didn't appear to be life threatening. Chris's condition must be due to something else. With a sudden burst of inspiration, Leo held his hand out over the blistering wound and cautiously let his healing power flow. His son immediately began to fit again, although not quite as violently as before. Strangely, though, the burn mark gradually faded and eventually disappeared.

Withdrawing his hand, the Elder frowned in puzzlement. "Something's not right here," he muttered to himself as he lightly pressed his fingers over the smooth, newly healed flesh, searching for that elusive symptom that he'd somehow missed. "I can heal his physical wounds but there has to be something…"

He broke off as the loud, jarring sound of the front doorbell rang through the house like a klaxon. They all ignored it, too concerned about Chris to pay it much heed. The doorbell rang again a few seconds later though, and then again shortly after that. It was almost as if someone was leaning on it and refusing to let go.

"Get rid of them!" Piper snapped over her shoulder at her sisters, the continuous sound grating on her already highly-strung nerves.

Knowing that her sister would probably turn their visitors into toads – or worse - if she didn't do something, Phoebe quickly turned and went to answer the door.

"All right, all right, I'm coming, I'm coming," she called out irritably, as she clattered down the stairs to the accompaniment of the endlessly chiming doorbell.

Pulling open the door, she prepared to turn whoever it was away, but the young woman standing on the doorstep spoke before she could utter a single word to that effect.

"Phoebe! Thank god you're still here, I have to talk to you," Stacey exclaimed frantically. She suddenly stopped as she registered the Charmed One's rather dishevelled appearance. "It's over, isn't it?" she asked fearfully.

Phoebe nodded. "Alcathan is dead," she confirmed tersely.

"And what about Chris?" Stacey rushed on. "Is he all right?"

"I…" Phoebe's eyes filled with sudden tears as the full horror of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. "I… there's something… He…" she broke off, unable to continue.

"Oh god! Why did I wait so long?" Stacey berated herself, tears filling her eyes. She felt Paul's warm hands close over her shoulders and she leaned back against him for support.

"What? What do you mean?" Phoebe questioned sharply.

"I'm sorry – Chris made me promise not to tell," Stacey bemoaned, brushing away her tears with the back of her hand. "I know I shouldn't have listened to him, but he… well, he can be pretty persuasive when he wants to be. I knew it was a mistake the moment I got to Chicago – I should have got on a plane back home right there and then, but I waited... Oh god, I'm so sorry!"

Phoebe drew in a deep breath and tried to put her shattered wits back into some semblance of order. "I think you'd better come in," she said, ushering the young couple inside and closing the door behind them.

"Follow me," she instructed curtly, leading them up the stairs and then along the corridor to Piper and Leo's bedroom. "Now tell us everything you know," she said.

Stacey however, froze in horror at the sight of her incapacitated friend. She'd been with her maternal grandmother when she'd passed away the previous summer, so she knew what death looked like. The only thing that suggested that Chris was still alive was the slight up-and-down movement of his chest. Otherwise, his appearance was death personified.

"Stacey!" Phoebe said harshly. "What did Chris make you promise not to tell us?"

"W-what? What are you talking about?" Piper said, raising her red, tear-stained eyes from their rapt contemplation of her son's pale face.

"I…," Stacey stuttered. "It was the demons…"

"The ones who attacked you last week?" Paige demanded brusquely when words failed the young witch for a second time.

Stacey nodded rather shakily. "Yes - they cut Chris with that athame, remember?"

"But Leo healed him…" Paige protested.

Stacey shook her head. "No, no, he didn't - the wound came back, worse than before." She moved closer to the bed and insistently pointed at Chris's stomach. "Look, see… the bandage."

They all looked back at her blankly.

"Look if this is some kind of joke, missy…" Piper warned threateningly.

"No!" Stacey cried. "Look - can't you see?"

Leaning down, she pulled back Chris's t-shirt so that the dressing covering the athame wound was clearly visible. She got no response from Chris's family however, so she turned and appealed to Paul for support.

"You can see it, right?" she demanded of him.

To her relief, Paul nodded that he could. "You said Chris was trying to hide his injury from his family," he said. "Maybe he did something… you know, umm, magical…"

"Yes!" Stacey said, seizing on the only explanation available to her. "An invisibility spell or something…"

"Or something," Prue cut in then, her eyes widening in amazement as her vision cleared and she suddenly saw what her eyes had been encouraged not to see.

"What are you talking about?" Piper asked of her sister.

"Piper, just look and accept what Stacey's telling you…" Prue urged her.

"I don't see what…"

"Piper!" Leo's voice cut in sharply.

The insistent tone of her husband's voice brooked no refusal and Piper obediently looked down at her son's exposed abdomen. Almost like a mirage clearing, the skin rippled and shimmered, and a large, bloodstained bandage rose to the surface and coalesced into a solid image. Her mouth dropped open in shock.

"I guess once you know the truth, the spell becomes ineffective," Leo surmised, peeling back the dressing to reveal the wound underneath. "Jesus!" he exclaimed, gagging slightly at the foul smell emanating from the almost gangrenous cut that ran the breadth of his son's lower abdomen.

Drawing in a shaky breath, he looked over at Stacey. "You need to tell us everything you know," he told her authoritatively.

Stacey nodded obediently. "Chris, he umm, he came to see me a few days ago," she said, "He wanted to know more about the demons who attacked me. He didn't tell me why at first. Actually, he _couldn't _tell me why," she amended. "He said he was under a like, err an inter… an inter…"

"An interdiction," Leo supplied. "It's a formal means of forbidding something. In magical terms, it means that the affected person can't speak about whatever it is he or she has been forbidden to."

Stacey nodded. "Well anyway," she continued. "I had already noticed that he was looking ill, and when he moved he was obviously in pain, so it didn't take too much to figure out the truth. Once I'd done that, it was like he could talk to me again. He said he thought that maybe he'd been infected with a curse of some kind."

"Makes sense," Leo concurred. "That might be immune to whitelighter healing – although why it would make it worse…?" He trailed off with a puzzled shake of his head.

"I told him that he should tell you," Stacey went on, "But he said no…"

"And you listened to him?" Piper remonstrated.

Stacey flushed. "He didn't exactly give me much choice," she retorted defensively. "He threatened to use Wyatt's powers to keep me quiet."

She looked down at Chris then, her expression grave. "He thought you'd stop him from confronting Alcathan, you see," she explained quietly. "And his life, the future… he told me what it was like for him. The only thing that mattered to him was making it right again. If he couldn't do that then…" she stopped and shrugged.

There was silence as everyone took that in, and then Leo forcibly shook himself out of his abstracted reverie. "All right so we know you went looking for the demons…" he prompted.

"Yeah and that's when we found out that Alcathan was behind the attack," Stacey replied. "Once he'd discovered that, Chris had me burn the evidence. Then he orbed me home and took me to Paul's later on that same night."

"And that's it? That's all you know?" Prue asked.

Stacey nodded miserably, knowing that she hadn't given them very much to go on.

"Chris didn't say anything else to you?" Phoebe enquired with a hint of desperation in her voice.

"No, he…" Stacey stopped and frowned as something suddenly occurred to her. "Maybe there is something," she said slowly. "It's just a feeling though…"

"What is?" Prue asked.

"I asked Chris to call me while I was in Chicago – I needed to know that he was okay, you know?"

"And?"

"It's just… the way he spoke… I think he knew more – about what was happening to him, I mean. It's like he found something out in the last couple of days, something he didn't know before, something he didn't want to tell me."

"But Chris hasn't left the house since he took you to Chicago," Phoebe said, "At least not until we went to confront Alcathan. How could he have found out anything without us knowing about it?"

"Wyatt," Prue stated with a snap of her fingers. "They can talk to each other telepathically, right?"

She looked at her brother-in-law who nodded in confirmation. "Chris insisted on asking him about borrowing Excalibur on his own too, remember? Maybe Wyatt guessed what was going on."

"It's certainly possible," Leo said, searching through his future self's memories for the information that he needed. "The boys… they have this connection – rather like your sisterly bond. Chris wouldn't necessarily have had to have told Wyatt anything – he could have just sensed something wasn't right."

"What use is that now though?" Piper said tearfully. "Wyatt's not here, is he? He's back in the future. A future that doesn't exist anymore…"

**OOOOOO**

**_The Original Future, forty-five minutes earlier…_**

There was a cataclysmic wrench as the earth tore asunder. The sound was deafening and a rain of rocks began to fall like hailstones all around them.

Keeping his arm around his semi-conscious son's waist, Leo stumbled for the cave's entrance, making for the beach outside. Deep down, he knew it was over but he wanted to make the most of every last minute he had left. His son had been lost to him for so long, he deserved that time, they both did.

Coughing and spluttering, Wyatt fell to his knees in the warm, soft sand. He shook his head like a dog emerging from water, trying to clear the fog that filled his brain. He looked up and saw the rolling darkness approaching on the horizon.

"Chris," he repeated dumbly.

"He did it," Leo was quietly exultant.

His boys would have the life they should have had all along now. Despite the dire consequences to himself, that somehow made it all worthwhile. He turned to smile at his son, but the smile faded on his lips when he caught sight of the look on Wyatt's face. The young man's eyes were filled with a heart wrenching anguish, and that's when Leo realised. Back in the cave, right before the power-switching spell had overcome him - Wyatt had been trying to tell him something, something about Chris…

"Tell me," he urged, cold fear curling in his belly.

"Alcathan, he… Drohomeride."

Leo froze as horrible realisation dawned. Chris's sickness, his pale tiredness – symptoms that he'd attributed to emotional stress. "But how…?" he started and then stopped, remembering what the other Leo had told him only a few short days ago.

He should have realised. The demons, the cut – Chris flinching when his other self had healed his injury. And then he'd healed him again the very next day, when their son had gotten sick… Oh god, oh god, oh god…

"I have to go back," Wyatt's tone was frantic, determined. He looked about him wildly. "I need a piece of paper, pen… I need a spell… I…"

"Wyatt," Leo reached out and caught his son's arm. Wyatt looked at him, dark realisation stark in his blue eyes. "I can't go back, can I?" he said, "If I do, I could undo everything Chris has done."

Leo nodded gravely. "You couldn't do anything anyway," he said in an anguished tone. "Drohomeride is universally fatal." He closed his eyes and let a single tear trickle down his cheek. "At least his baby self will have a second chance at life," he whispered.

"Oh God! You don't understand!" Wyatt cried. "I could have healed him, Dad. I could've healed him."

"What?" Leo's eyes snapped open. "What do you mean?"

"I've done it before."

"But you… what?"

Wyatt began to pace. "There has to be a way, there has to…" His eyes widened and he swung round to face his father. "How did you tell them?" he demanded.

"Tell who what?" Leo asked, confused.

"Mom, Chris, my Aunts… How did you tell them that you were bringing me back to the past? They were ready so they must have known…"

"I… I sent a note through time - the piece of paper I used was enchanted. It was a Power of Three spell though, Wyatt. I didn't cast the spell - your Mom and Aunts did."

"Can you remember it? The spell, I mean."

"I… yes, I guess… But…"

"I know it might not work, but I have to try. If Little-Me can… Please Dad. There's so much for me to make up for."

Leo nodded. "We'll need some paper," he said, suddenly all business. He cast a wary glance at the advancing darkness. "We don't have much time."

Closing his eyes, Wyatt searched with his mind and located what they needed. A whirl of blue lights and a pad of paper and a pen appeared in his outstretched hands. "My orbs are blue again," he observed as Leo tore the top sheet off the pad and scribbled down the spell for him.

Leo smiled despite himself. "Love is the strongest healer," he said.

"I guess." Wyatt's lips quirked up in a small smile. "Okay," he said, tearing off a clean sheet of paper and balancing it on the palm of his right hand. "Here we go…"

"In this place and in this hour,

I call upon the ancient power.

Send this note through time and space,

To the one with the familiar face."

The paper in his hand glowed blue, and Leo nodded in quiet satisfaction. "I think that's a good sign," he said. "It was a yellow glow with your Mom and Aunts, but your power is slightly different to theirs."

Taking the enchanted sheet of paper from Wyatt's hand, he quickly wrote a few words of explanation across the top of it, and then offered the pen and paper back to his son.

"Don't you want to do it?" Wyatt asked.

Leo shook his head. "I've said all I need to say," he said. "But I don't think you have. You need to hurry though."

After a brief moment of indecision, Wyatt reached out and took the pen and paper from his father's outstretched hand. He sat down on a rock nearby and began to write, his hand moving back and forth across the paper with lightening speed.

Leo watched him with a melancholy expression on his worn face. He could tell Wyatt was using magic to help him to write faster, but he still knew there wouldn't be enough time to say all that needed to be said. He looked again at the methodically approaching darkness on the horizon – it was getting ever closer. It wouldn't be long now.

"Wyatt," he said meaningfully.

Wyatt nodded, scribbled a few more words and then signed the note with a flourish. He rose to his feet. "Okay, so how does this work?"

"You think about where you want to send it, focus the picture in your mind and then blow on it," Leo said. "I directed mine at Chris but that might not be such a good idea in this case. We don't know what's going on back there – we don't want the note to get lost in the confusion."

"The Manor then?" Wyatt suggested.

Leo nodded. "Focus on the Book of Shadows. They should find it there."

Wyatt closed his eyes and drew a picture of the Manor attic in his mind, but then frowned. "What if the Book's not in the attic?" he asked. "Won't that confuse things?"

Leo cocked his head to one side as he thought about that. "Possibly," he agreed. The earth beneath their feet shuddered and quaked violently then, making them both stumble.

"But we don't really have any other option," Leo went on breathlessly. "We've run out of time…"

The ground roiled again like a sinking ship and the light of the sun faded as the darkness swallowed it whole.

"Just do it, Wyatt, before it's too late!" Leo exclaimed.

Wyatt quickly focused the image in his mind and blew on the piece of paper. It disappeared in a swirl of golden lights. He then turned his gaze to the wall of cloudy blackness that was eating up everything in its path with inexorable determination.

"That's it, isn't it?" he said. "That's the end."

Leo reached out and grasped his son's hand firmly in his. "It's worth it," he replied.

Wyatt nodded. "There's one thing I don't understand," he said as they faced down the inevitable together. "Why did I change back? Before the future did, I mean. It wasn't actually over until the earthquake, was it?"

Leo smiled. "You made a choice," he said. "You chose to help Chris, and I think that somewhere along the line, you must have chosen to let good back into your soul too. The evil is still there but you pushed it to one side. You found that strength within you somehow."

Wyatt suddenly remembered the vivid dream he'd had, that painful walk through the crucial moments of his life. His mother's horrible death. His fatal surrender to the darkness within his soul. His refusal to give up on making his brother see his point of view, and Chris's insistent defiance of that. And most of all, the shining evidence of his family's unconditional love for him…

"_Because you're family. Because I know that the person you've become isn't really the true you, that the brother I used to have still exists inside you somehow. And because I love you, I guess."_

Wyatt smiled a little sadly. "I guess I did," he said.

His father nodded and gripped his hand even tighter. "I'm proud of you, son."

"Even after everything?"

"Even after everything," Leo confirmed. "You fought back and won and that's all that matters."

Wyatt nodded, tears rolling freely down his face now. "I love you, Dad."

Leo turned and pulled him close, resting his chin on his son's shoulder as he crossed his arms across his back. "I love you too, Wyatt," he responded with heartfelt emotion.

Silence fell between them then. There was nothing left to say. It was time for them to accept their fate and surrender themselves to it with quiet dignity.

They would never be truly gone, they realised. They would live on in the hearts and minds of those who followed them. Who they were, who they'd been, would be woven into the fabric of time for all eternity. They would be a reminder, a warning certainly. But, most of all, they'd be a lasting testament to the strength of one family's enduring love.

The darkness got closer.

A hundred metres away…

Fifty…

Twenty…

Ten…

In the end, as the vanishing future finally claimed them as its own, all they felt was quiet blessed relief…

**OOOOOO**

**_Two and a half days later…_**

Paige opened the door and smiled wearily at the three people on the doorstep. "Hey sweetie!" she said, taking her little nephew in her arms and hugging him close. His sweet baby smell touched her heart and for a brief moment took away the unbearable anguish inside.

"Are you sure you don't want us to keep him longer?" Sheila Morris asked.

Paige shook her head. "No, he, umm… he should be here when…" she broke off, unable to say the words.

"You've not found out anything new then?" Darryl asked with heavy resignation.

"No, there's just… nothing."

Sheila reached out and hugged her friend in heartfelt sympathy. "You and your sisters call us if you need anything, okay?"

Paige nodded. "We will," she with a sigh. "And thanks… for everything."

Closing the door behind them, Paige paused to gather her strength before she ascended the stairs. Piper and Leo had barely left Chris's side in the last couple of days. As he hovered on a knife-edge between life and death, neither could bear to tear themselves away for fear of not being there when the horrible moment came. Paige and her two sisters had been left to scour the universe for an answer to a question that had unfortunately continued to elude them. The three women slept in shifts, not wanting to give up the desperate search for even a second.

This morning though, when Paige had entered the sickroom to check on the patient, she could tell from the look on Leo's face that they'd finally run out of time. Chris's condition was significantly worse - his breathing was painfully laboured, his face grey and his skin ice-cold to touch. It wouldn't be much longer now and she'd surrendered herself to the inevitable with a devastated heart.

As she reached the foot of the staircase, she met Prue, Phoebe and their father, Victor coming down the stairs, their expressions grave. Prue shook her head at her youngest sister, halting her in her tracks.

"Not now, Paige," she said quietly. "I think we should leave them alone for a bit. I think it's finally crashed in on Piper what's going to happen."

"Oh, oh god, I can't bear this," Phoebe suddenly wailed, burying her face in her elder sister's shoulder and bursting into tears. Prue's jaw tightened as she fought back her own sobs, but eventually she could no longer hold them in. Victor put his arms around his sobbing daughters and held them close, shushing them with murmuring words of comfort.

Paige kissed her nephew's soft little cheek, feeling somewhat excluded. She knew her sisters weren't intentionally shutting her out. Victor was their father, and there were ties there that she could never be part of. Strangely, out of nowhere, she felt the sudden urge to see her own father, and she almost called out to him. Wyatt's wobbling lip stopped her from doing so though. The little boy was getting upset by his Aunts' grief and she realised it was probably best to remove him from the situation before his own tears fell.

Walking into the conservatory, she set him down on the floor amongst his toys. "Hey! Look at that, Wyatt. Shall we play with the cool car?" she cooed at him.

As easily distracted as any other toddler, Wyatt took the brightly coloured toy out of her hand and pushed the big blue button on the top. The sound of an engine roaring emanated from the plastic car and he giggled in delight. Leaving him to play, Paige sat down on the wicker loveseat and stared, glassy-eyed, into space.

Unlike her sisters, she couldn't cry. The grief was there; deep down inside, but something stopped her from acknowledging it. It was a big ball of knotted emotion locked away in a box. A box that if opened would spill its contents indiscriminately, overwhelming her in a tidal wave of unstoppable grief.

Looking up a few minutes later, she found that Wyatt had abandoned his toys and was toddling determinedly towards the table next to where she was sitting.

"Oh no you don't, little guy," she said, catching him around the middle and removing him from harm's way. Wyatt however, immediately orbed out of her grasp and reappeared under the table.

"Honey, don't – you're going to bump your head," Paige protested as Wyatt crawled out from under the piece of furniture and unsteadily rose to his feet, the back of his head precariously close to the sharp edge of the table as he did so.

He toddled towards her, holding a piece of crumbled paper in his hand. "'Iss," he said earnestly.

"I'm sorry, sweetie – Chris can't play right now. He's very sick and he needs to sleep."

"'Iss," Wyatt said again, dropping the dusty piece of paper in her lap.

Paige was about to toss the paper aside, but something made her smooth it out and look at it first. She read the first few lines of scribbled writing and a loud gasp escaped her throat. "Oh, oh god!"

Scooping Wyatt up into her arms, she rushed back into the hall. "Upstairs – now!" she barked at her sisters and then vanished in a swirl of blue lights. Phoebe and Prue drew back from their father, looked at each other and then turned and pounded back up the stairs as fast as their feet would carry them.

"Paige!" Leo protested when his sister-in-law emerged in the centre of the bedroom with her baby nephew in her arms. "I don't think Wyatt should see Chris like this."

The Elder was sitting on the sofa holding his crying wife in his arms. Paige's only answer was to thrust a piece of paper at him. Unthinkingly, he reached out and took it from her, his gaze dropping to the words written in black ink across its surface.

Moments later, he sat bolt upright. "Oh my god!"

"What? What is it?" Piper asked, her voice thick with tears.

Leo was already on his feet and moving towards the bed though, his attention switching away from her and onto his son in a heart stopping instant of sudden, blind hope.

"How do I get him to do it?" Paige asked frantically, depositing little Wyatt on the bedspread besides his comatose brother and wringing her hands agitatedly. She could hear the loud clatter of her sister's footsteps pounding up the stairs, but her attention remained fixed on her nephew's face.

"Let me," Leo said, pushing her rather roughly aside. He sat down and lifted his son into his lap, then bent to speak in the little boy's ear. "Hey buddy, now listen, I need you to do something for Daddy, okay?"

"What's going on?" Piper was on her feet now, her hands curled around her expanding waistline. "Paige?" she demanded.

"There was a note, downstairs, the conservatory," Paige explained in a staccato rush, as Prue and Phoebe careened to a abrupt stop in the hallway outside and jostled with each other to enter the room first. "It was… The Future… Wyatt… He… Chris…"

On the bed, Leo had finally coaxed Wyatt into using his previously dormant healing power and the bright glow from his little hands was almost incandescent in its intensity. Chris immediately began to thrash about against the pillows, his back and neck arched in obvious pain as the yellow glow seared his skin and burned like battery acid in his veins.

"No! Stop! What are you doing?" Piper cried out, her son's pain-filled moans too much for her to handle.

"Piper, it's all right," Paige said, catching her sister's hands in hers and preventing her from intervening.

"How can it be all right? He's hurting him!" Piper shot back, struggling to get away from her sister's firm grasp.

"Yes, but it's the only way! Future Wyatt sent a note – we knew he might know what was wrong with Chris, remember? He said that Chris has been poisoned, that there's no known antidote and that whitelighter healing power only makes the situation worse."

"So why is he healing him then?" Piper cried in agitation.

"Because, somehow, Wyatt's healing power doesn't have the same effect. He said that it'll make things a lot worse to start with, but then, later on, there'll be a turning point and things will begin to get better. He's not sure whether his baby self's power will be strong enough though, but we have to try, Piper. If we don't, Chris will die – there is no other way to cure him, the poison is universally fatal otherwise."

Piper still wasn't convinced however. "How do we know we can trust Wyatt?" she said. "He's evil, remember?"

"Not anymore," Leo said. "At least not completely - my other self confirmed that."

Paige nodded. "The note's from him too, although it looks like Wyatt wrote most of it."

Piper finally relented. Hurrying to the bed, she sat down next to her son and curled her fingers into his, holding tightly onto his hand as he convulsed and jerked in relentless agony.

"It's all right, sweetie, Mommy's here," she crooned softly to him. "Just hold on, okay? It'll all be over soon, I promise."

While his wife couldn't tear her horrified eyes from his face, Leo could only bear to watch their son's torment for so long. Sucking in a shaky breath, he looked again at the note that he still held in his hand. The first few paragraphs were a hastily written explanation of how to help Chris, but then the narrative changed in tone. The underlying emotions behind the words jumped off the page and took on life, touching Leo deep down inside his soul.

"_To my family_," he read silently.

"_I can see the end approaching on the horizon. The world is different and yet also still the same. Evil still poisons my soul, but somehow, in these final moments, it is easier to fight off. I see things clearly for the first time after so many years of darkness._

_I don't know whether my baby self's power will work or not, whether it will save Chris from the jaws of death. But know that I tried to save him - that I gave it my all even if the attempt is doomed to fail. Thank you for never giving up on me - you will never know how much that means. And also know that I do love you, despite all the awful things that I said and did while I was with you. _

_There is so much more that I want to say, but there is so little time left in which to say it. I hope you understand why I end this here therefore. My final words are reserved for someone else, and I know you'll understand why that's the most important thing right now. _

_This is where the journey ends then. Mom, Dad, 'Aunts' - I love you. Be safe. _

_Wyatt x_"

Biting his bottom lip, Leo turned over the piece of paper in his hands. Cramped writing filled the entire other side of the page and the name at the top came as no surprise to him.

"_Chris_," it began, but he didn't read any further, knowing that his eyes should not be the first to read those words. He folded the piece of paper in half, enclosing Wyatt's message to his brother on the inside, and then tucked it in his shirt pocket for safekeeping.

Chris's violently thrashing movements had eased now and his whimpering moans of pain gradually diminished until he finally fell silent. His stillness was somehow even more frightening however. His dark eyelashes were lying flat against his sunken cheeks, his gaunt face marble-like in its paleness. An erratic pulse fluttered falteringly at his throat and his breathing was shallow and barely detectable.

Leo instinctively reached out and grasped his son's other hand. "Come on, son," he encouraged as the soothing glow from Wyatt's tiny palms continued on unabated. It had been several minutes now. How much longer was it going to take?

Eventually though, the twinkling sound of Wyatt's healing power seemed to change tone, and Leo thought he detected a hint of colour returning to Chris's face. As they all watched with bated breath, the rosy bloom deepened, becoming more and more pronounced as time went by. Chris's breathing evened out and his eyelids began to flutter. Finally, with a sharp intake of breath, he opened his eyes and unparalleled relief washed over Leo like a soothing balm. His son was safe.

"It's all right, Wyatt, you can stop now," he told the little boy quietly.

Wyatt closed his fingers into fists and bounced on the springy mattress, flapping his arms up and down like a bird about to take flight. "'Iss!" he pronounced with animated satisfaction.

Chris stared blankly at his excited little-big brother for a moment, and then wearily closed his eyes. "Okay, so kill me now," he remarked dryly, his voice rusty and breaking over the sardonic words.

"That's not even remotely funny!" Piper admonished him reprovingly.

A hint of smile touched the corner Chris's cracked lips but he didn't open his eyes. "Sorry Mom."

With a low cry, she swooped down and kissed him, her arms encircling his head as she pressed her lips repeatedly to his forehead. "Don't ever do anything like that to me again," she exclaimed.

He opened his eyes and looked up into her face. "I had to," he said solemnly. "I'm sorry – I couldn't risk the alternative. Saving the future was too important."

Piper sighed, stroking the backs of her fingers over the side of his face. There wasn't much she could say to that. His tendency towards martyrdom was something she couldn't help but admire. He'd been through so much and yet he had never stopped fighting, not once.

Chris grinned at her. "I'm grounded for life, aren't I?" he said and she smiled in spite of herself.

"Give it thirty years or so and you might be eligible for parole," she told him.

He let out a weak little chuckle and then closed his eyes again with a sigh. She looked at Leo with concern but he didn't seem too worried by their son's continuing lethargy.

"It's gonna take some time," he told her gently. "His body's been through a significant trauma. He just needs to rest, build up his strength again."

"And so do you," he added after a beat.

"But…" Piper protested.

"I'll stay with him," he promised her. "You need to take care of baby Chris right now."

"He's right," Phoebe said, stepping forward. She bent and kissed her sleeping nephew lightly on the forehead, and then held out her hand to her tired-looking sister. "Come on, Piper, you can have my bed."

Paige and Prue stepped aside as the two women left the room, and then each moved forward to reassure themselves that Chris was indeed on the mend.

"I'll put him down for a nap," Prue said, hoisting Wyatt up into her arms. The little boy's eyelids were already beginning to droop and she marvelled at his ability to fall asleep almost anywhere.

"He's had a busy day," she remarked with a smile.

Victor followed the sisters out the room and Leo was left alone with his son. Reaching out, he stroked his hand over Chris's unruly mop of dark hair and the witch-whitelighter stirred, opening his eyes again.

"How?" he asked in a croaky whisper.

Instinctively knowing what his son was asking, Leo reached into his shirt pocket and removed the note. "Because of this," he explained.

Chris manoeuvred himself into a sitting position and took the note, unfolding it and reading what was on the outside rather than the more personal words within. When his gaze reached the bottom of the page however, his eyes widened slightly, a sudden hope flaring in their green depths. Leo knew what he was thinking. Was Wyatt referring to him or not?

"Turn it over," he urged quietly and buoyed by his father's reassurance, Chris did just that.

Leo sat back and watched as a myriad of emotions played across his son's face as he read the message from his brother. His green eyes filled with tears when they reached the end of the narrative, but he didn't let them fall – not yet.

He lifted his gaze to his father's face instead, and smiled with some difficulty. "I guess that's makes us quits," he said thickly, and then his face crumpled and the bitter tears finally fell.

Rising quietly to his feet, Leo sat down on the bed, drew his son close and let him cry for the future that had once been, and the new life that was finally, at long last, within in his grasp…

_**To be continued…**_

_**A/N2**: Before the avalanche of complaints, you will get to hear Wyatt's letter, I swear. I know I promised that ages ago with the rest of Future Leo's letter and never actually delivered, but this is different. _

_I could never quite find the right time to return to that letter and it didn't seem to matter anyway – Future Leo and Chris reached closure with the former's revisit to the past in the end. Original-Future Wyatt and Chris have to have some pay-off though or a lot of the emotional meaning behind the story will be lost._

_Till next time then…_

_CharmedBec x_


	37. A Time for Goodbye

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! New chapter for you all. Note the time jump at the beginning of it. Please read and enjoy, and it'd also be nice if you reviewed too!

**OOOOOO**

**_Chapter 37 – A Time for Goodbye_**

**_The Golden Gate Bridge, three months later…_**

Chris sat in his usual spot, his legs bent and his arms lightly hugging his jean-clad knees. A pleasantly cool breeze ruffled his hair and teased at his skin, taking the edge off the sun beating down on the top of his head and uncovered forearms. The altitude had the unfortunate consequence of masking the true strength of the sun's rays up on the Bridge, something that the young witch-whitelighter had discovered to his cost several weeks before, when he'd inadvertently fallen asleep up here and ended up resembling what could only be described as a boiled lobster.

Paige and Phoebe had found the whole episode highly amusing of course, whereas his Mom had been utterly horrified. "Did I not teach you anything growing up?" she'd scolded him as she liberally applied creamy liniment to his red, sunburned skin and sternly chastised him about not using preventive sun block.

His father had been closeted 'up there' with the Elders for the whole of the previous day and wasn't due home for another twenty-four hours, so, unfortunately, Chris had to endure the soreness and blisters for rather longer than he really cared to. Piper had viewed this as apt punishment for his carelessness, but that didn't stop her hovering over him like a proverbial mother hen until Leo eventually returned and healed his hapless son. Having family around was all very nice, Chris supposed, but anonymity did have its compensations every once in a while, he had to admit.

The last three months had been an intense period of personal adjustment for him. For the first couple of weeks after his rather miraculous recovery, he'd been so wiped out, both mentally and physically, by everything that had happened in the past few years, that he hadn't been able to do much more than lounge about at the Manor, reading books, watching TV and generally being fussed over like a newly hatched chicken.

As he slowly regained his strength however, he was faced with the dilemma of what happened next. It was weird - his mission to save Wyatt had consumed his every thought and action for so long that he didn't know what to do with himself now that it was finally over. He took the opportunity to bask in delicious and unproductive inactivity for a while, but idleness had never been part of his nature, even before Wyatt had turned, so it wasn't long before he got bored by that.

He'd eventually resorted to asking his Dad to get the Elders to assign him a charge so that he at least had something to do while he figured out the rest. Leo had given him a rather quizzical look when he'd requested this, but had gone ahead and arranged it anyway. Chris soon discovered that all of his assignments were strictly short-term in nature however – a future whitelighter who had temporarily stepped off the chosen path, for instance, or witches with minimal power who only needed a whitelighter's aid occasionally instead of a more permanent guide.

He knew why, of course, but it was something that was deliberately not spoken of. His Mom and Aunts were experts at avoiding the subject and Chris played along because he wasn't quite ready to face it himself. His Dad was a bit more altruistic about the whole thing, but he too held his peace, waiting for his son to broach the issue once he'd come to terms with the past that he now had to leave behind.

His return to the future wasn't something that Chris could avoid for much longer however. With her second child's birth now less than a month away, Piper looked like a rising moon at the moment, her stomach seemingly growing bigger with each day that passed. Although he wasn't working to any strict timetable, his baby self's entry into the world was the unconscious deadline that Chris had set for himself. The two of them would become one person in the future, so he didn't think it was a good idea for them to co-exist as two separate people at any other point in time. If the family started to view them as separate individuals rather than two halves of the same whole, things could get very complicated indeed - and things were confusing enough already.

He sighed, knowing it was finally time to say goodbye in spite of the lingering doubts that still plagued him. Whichever way you looked at it, his return to his own time would alter him in ways that were impossible to predict. What if something happened in the next twenty years that changed things so dramatically that he stepped out into a world that didn't bear any resemblance to the future that he'd once known? Or the present that he now lived in, come to think of it. He would be armed with his other self's knowledge of that time, certainly, but, right now, he was more or less operating on blind faith and that was justifiably daunting for him.

Reaching into his back pocket, he withdrew one of the letters that – other than his real and Leo's implanted memories – were one of the few lasting reminders of a future that, thanks to his efforts, no longer existed. It represented a dark and painful time for him, but was also an existence that he was acutely familiar with, and therefore a lifeline that he desperately wanted to cling to for as long as he could.

Wyatt's last words to his family were what had convinced Chris that he'd done the right thing in the end. His first father had willingly sacrificed himself for his boys, knowing that his past self would live on and care for them in his stead. But Wyatt? Wyatt had made no such conscious choice. He'd been forced into a situation beyond his control and had had to live with the consequences.

Chris had felt guilty about that, especially after learning of Wyatt's last minute transformation, but the more he read his brother's words, the more he realised that he didn't really have any choice. Aided by his younger sibling's efforts in the past, Wyatt had fought back and regained control of who he was, but, despite all that, he was still beyond redemption. He had admitted that himself in his letter – '_Evil still poisons my soul,' _he'd tellingly written, although it was the tone of the message that informed Chris of that more than the actual words.

The letter was obviously heartfelt, but there was a certain pomposity to the phrasing of it – a characteristic that Evil Wyatt possessed in spades, whereas the brother that Chris remembered did not. In contrast, Wyatt's message to himself was much more down to earth and on the level. In a way, it made him feel as if he'd won his brother back, only to cut him off before he had the chance to redeem himself, and that was something that pained Chris more than words could say.

The message that was not directed at him personally was his salvation therefore. It helped to temper the guilt that the flip side of his brother's letter stirred within him. He would not be without the other half of the message, of course. Without it, it would be difficult to remember the first Wyatt with any kind of affection and Chris needed to do that for his sanity's sake.

He'd lost his entire family and discovered a slightly different one in its place. And, while he wasn't going to endure a lifetime of regret over that, nor did he want to deny that his beginnings ever existed. He had loved and been loved during that time, and that was something that should never be forgotten. Love was too precious a commodity to be treated so lightly. It should be treasured and remembered even when it was lost forever.

He sighed and lowered his gaze to re-read his brother's last words:

'_Chris,'_ the letter began.

_I honestly don't know what to say. There isn't much time so you'll have to forgive me if some of this comes out wrong. I also hope you're not dead so you do actually get to read this. You're one stubborn little so-and-so, you know that right? Annoying martyr complex or what? And, what's worse, I'm not even frickin' worth it! _'

Chris shook his head with a wry smile. That first paragraph always had that effect. There was nothing like telling it like it was, and Wyatt – evil or good - had always been an expert at that. He was intelligent enough to realise that his brother's slightly tongue-in-cheek tone was a cover for more complex emotions though. Dropping his eyes back to the letter, he carried on reading.

'_Forgive me' – I need to say that a thousand times over, don't I? Perhaps that's what I should do, just write forgive me over and over until I reach the bottom of the page… But that would be a) the dullest final words ever, b) kind of trite given the circumstances, and c) way too much like writing lines in detention at school – and you know how I used to hate that! _

'_I must not orb teachers to isolated spots around the world when I'm bored in class…' _

'_I must not encourage my little brother to help me to create havoc unless I want my Mom to ground me for the rest of my life…'_

_Aunt Paige was the composer of that second classic example in case you hadn't already guessed! That's what everyone thought though, wasn't it? That you just went along with everything I suggested without any conscious thought. I have to admit I thought that too. I sure know differently now though, don't I? You never once did anything you didn't want to, did you? When it came down to making the choice that mattered, you made the right one and stuck to your guns, no matter what I said or did. _

_I'm more grateful for that than I can possibly say. I think there was always a part of me that was screaming 'save me' despite all the terrible things that I did. You could have stopped listening to that voice like everyone else, but you didn't. Bianca told me that a lot of people wanted you to vanquish me, but that you refused to consider it until you'd done everything in your power to save me first. _

_Bianca – that's one of those forgive me's that I do have to say, isn't it? It wasn't intentional, I swear, although I think we both know that I was more than capable of making it so if I'd wanted. I'm sorry is the only thing that I can say and I know it's not nearly enough. I hope you two get a second chance, I really do._

_The other major 'forgive me' is Dad – the memory spell, what I did to you both. It makes me feel sick even thinking about it. I took away everything from you because I thought it would somehow bring you round to my way of thinking. It was a truly unforgivable act – especially after the way we lost Mom – and yet somehow, on some level, I guess you must have forgiven me for it. Or why else would you keep on fighting for me? _

_I'm not sure I'd have the same strength of character in similar circumstances, but then I don't really know who I am anymore. There's this creature inside that's part of me and not part of me all at the same time. It's alien, but it sometimes feels inherent to the person that I am. I hate what I did, but does that mean I'd never do it again? I honestly don't know and that's a hard thing to come to terms with._

_I need you to do something for me therefore – I know I don't have the right to ask – but just… if it's truly who I am and you need to destroy me, then just do it and know that I gave you my blessing to do so. I have too much power for it to be used for evil and you are the only one with the means to stop me. You've secured me a second chance and, for that, I'm grateful. If I don't take it though, then I never deserved it in the first place, and it'll be down to you to end it - for good. It's as simple as that._

_Sorry bro, but I really have to go now – there's this certain someone that I'm trying my damnedest to save and I'm rapidly running out of time to do so. I guess you know something about that, huh? _

_I don't know what else there is to say anyway, but I reckon I love you, thank you and goodbye about covers it, even if it's not very eloquent. Make sure you give my other self a good kick up the rear end whenever he needs it, and just carry on being who you are – Chris Halliwell, saviour of the future, no less! _

_The title will probably end up being a major pain in the ass by the way. I mean, Twice-Blessed? What does that mean? It's just a load of old crock that other people find impressive. We are who we are and that's family. I guess you were right – the person you knew does still exist inside of me somewhere. _

_Be well and be happy then, little brother, and here's hoping I make less of a mess of the new future!_

_Your first – and slightly deranged - big brother, _

_Wyatt'_

Chris laid the letter aside and smiled to himself. The last line was a perfect example of what had initially bothered him about it. Evil Wyatt could never have signed the letter in that fashion, but the brother he grew up with could - and, more to the point, would. Wyatt's expressed concern about being inherently susceptible to evil had also troubled him for a while. When he looked back through his childhood memories, there were numerous examples of when his sibling had taken things a step too far without actually crossing the line.

Was it just part of his nature then? Chris had studied the toddler version of his brother carefully for any signs and had come up empty on all counts. The little boy's blue eyes shone with nothing but childish innocence and, ever so occasionally, a harmless mischievousness. There was never any real malice in his behaviour however, so he had gratefully concluded that Wyatt had been wrong. Whatever evil had showed itself was a result of what Alcathan had done to him and that was all.

They would never really know the full extent of that, but Chris did know that it had started way before his Mom's premature death. The spell that he'd cast to bring him to the past had told him that by sending him to this particular place in time. The seed of evil had been planted in the here and now, even if they hadn't matured for another fifteen years or more. Wyatt wasn't born evil; circumstances had just made him that way. An ancient and powerful demon had preyed upon an innocent little boy and turned him into something he was not. That threat was now gone and the future could unfold how it should have done in the first place.

It was as the prophecy said - 'For the offspring of the Charmed Bride and her Groom of Light shall have the power to overcome him. To return him forever to the depths of hell from whence he came, and lead the world back into the light and towards the future that was meant to come to pass.'

Chris tucked the letter in his back pocket and rose to his feet. Closing his eyes, he drew in a deep, cleansing breath. It was finally time to go home, he realised. There were just a few goodbyes that he had to say first…

**OOOOOO**

**_The Manor Attic, half an hour later…_**

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" Prue asked her nephew gravely. "This is going to irrevocably change you – you do know that, don't you?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, I know and I'm ready," he answered solemnly. "Eventually," he added with a deprecating shrug.

Prue affectionately touched the side of his face with the tips of her fingers. "Honey, you've had a lot to come to terms with," she said. "I really shouldn't worry too much about the amount of time it took you to do that."

"_Chris? Lunch!_"

Piper's peremptory voice echoed up the stairs and Aunt and nephew exchanged a knowing smile.

"Sure Mom. I'll be down in a minute," Chris automatically called back.

Prue sighed. "When are you going to tell them?" she asked.

"Tonight," her nephew replied. "There's somewhere I have to be this afternoon and they'll never let me out the front door if I tell them now."

Prue nodded. "This is going to be rough on them," she predicted. "They'll be saying goodbye for twenty-three years – that's a long time to be apart from someone you love."

Chris shrugged, not unsympathetic but simply accepting of the situation. "It's the way it has to be," he said. "I came here to change the future – this is the consequence of that. And it's not necessarily going to be a bad thing anyway…"

"Oh, I know," his Aunt concurred. "I'm just saying that they're going to find it difficult, that's all – your Mom and Dad especially."

"They'll have mini-me to distract them."

"And I'm sure that'll be a comfort. It won't stop them missing you however. I don't think there's anything that can do that."

"_CHRIS_!"

Piper's voice was bordering on impatient now – her advancing pregnancy was making her decidedly waspish, her short-temperedness rising in direct proportion to her increasing girth, it seemed.

Prue grinned. "You should probably go before my sister has a coronary," she said.

"You're not staying then?" Chris asked with surprise.

The eldest Charmed One shook her head. "No, I crossed over before I was meant to. With good reason perhaps, but it's upset the balance of things all the same. I need to prepare for what it is I have to do. It won't be long now and I don't want to make any costly mistakes."

She smiled impishly at him and he grinned back. He knew that his future life depended on her saving him at the appropriate time, but he didn't really have any concerns about that. She'd done it once before already, and he trusted her to repeat the favour.

"Touché," he responded with an incline of his head. "I'd kind of like it if I made it into the future in one piece too."

"I'll try my best," she assured him. "I'm still nervous about it, but both of your Dads seem to have the utmost confidence in me so…" she trailed off with a shrug of her slender shoulders.

"Both of them?" Chris questioned with a slight frown.

"Yeah – I spoke to Future Leo about it before he left. I was trying to get some clues about what it is that I have to do."

"And let me guess, he wouldn't tell you," Chris said knowingly.

Prue wrinkled her nose in mild disgust. "No, he played the whitelighter motivational card instead. Apparently I shouldn't worry because it's instinctive in who I am. And to quote Leo number two – 'If I trust in myself, then I can't go wrong'."

"Nice to know," Chris remarked with a chuckle.

"_CHRISTOPHER HALLIWELL! If you don't get you're butt down here right now, I'm going to blow you into a million orb pieces so help me god!_"

Prue threw back her head and laughed uproariously. "I so love her," she declared when her mirth eventually died down.

"Are you going to call Social Services or should I?" Chris quipped dryly.

Prue laughed again and then drew him into a warm hug. "Well, I would," she said. "Except I know that she doesn't actually mean it."

"You wanna a bet?" Chris remarked acidly.

"Do I have to answer that?" Prue jested, smiling affectionately at him. "Now send me back to where I belong," she instructed, "And I'll see you in twenty-three years, kiddo."

"Don't change too much," Chris beseeched of her.

"Not much chance of that," she replied. "I'm kind of dead so I'm more or less destined to stay the same for all eternity."

"It's one way to hold onto your youthful looks, I guess," her nephew dryly observed, and then quickly dodged the reproachful slap that she aimed at him.

"Hey! Cut it out with the Auntly abuse," he protested.

"Err – excuse me! Pot and kettle, mister?" Prue shot back indignantly, making him laugh.

Laughing also, she pulled him into another hug before they finally took their leave of one another, Prue crossing back over into the beyond in a swirl of golden stars and Chris orbing downstairs immediately after her departure.

"What were you doing up there?" Piper demanded irritably, as she placed a plate of doorstep sandwiches on the table in front of him and lowered herself into the chair opposite.

Chris mumbled some vague, indistinct reply, and then enthusiastically tucked into his lunch, suddenly realising he was ravenously hungry. "Aren't you eating?" he asked his mother around a mouthful of sandwich.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," she absently chastised him, and then shook her head with a grimace. "No, little you is angling to join the gymnastics team right now, and baby aerobics on a full stomach is definitely not a good thing."

"Eat them nicely, sweetie," she gently admonished little Wyatt, who had decided to disassemble his small sandwich triangles into their component parts before eating them.

Chris grinned, warmed by the commonplace event of him and his brother having lunch under their mother's strict supervision. She'd always been very insistent about good table manners and – mostly - he and his brother abided by them.

"Trust me I will _never_ want to join the gymnastics team," he told her with an exaggerated shudder, "Definitely not my thing."

Piper laughed a bright, sunny laugh. "So, out of interest, what after-school clubs will I have to ferry you to?" she asked.

Chris tapped the side of his nose slyly. "Now that'd be telling, and I wouldn't want to spoil the surprise for you."

Piper nodded. "No, perhaps it's best at that," she agreed with a sigh. "It wouldn't be good for me to have expectations of the other you. He should be allowed to develop into the person that he's going to be naturally."

She smiled at him rather sadly then, and he was forced to look away from her. He didn't really want to have this conversation yet. She'd become very possessive of his time the moment she knew that he was leaving, and he had other things to attend to first. Luckily, though, Piper took the hint and changed the subject.

"So, what are you up to this afternoon?" she asked conversationally.

"Umm, I thought I'd look in on Stacey," he replied. "I haven't heard from her in a few days."

"Is that boyfriend of hers still around?" Piper asked.

Chris grinned, knowing where this was leading. "What? You mean Paul?" he queried innocently. "I imagine so, yes."

"And that doesn't bother you?" Piper pressed.

"Should it?"

"Well, I just thought that… well, you know."

"She'd old enough to be my mother, you know," Chris pointed out sagely.

Piper frowned, obviously only just realising that. "Perhaps it's better that you're just friends then," she decided, and Chris began to laugh at her blatant inconsistency. First, she wanted him to have a girlfriend and then she didn't.

She made a protesting face at him. "Stop it! Can't a mother take an interest, or is that a crime now?"

Chris, however, only laughed harder. His Mom was just the best sometimes, she really was.

**OOOOOO**

**_Stacey Macklin's apartment, an hour later…_**

Paul Bradshaw glanced up from his book at the tinkling sound and flare of blue orb lights. "Chris," he calmly greeted the young man who had just appeared out of nowhere in the centre of the living room.

"Paul," Chris acknowledged with an incline of his head. "Visiting again, huh?" he enquired, his green eyes dancing with speculative amusement.

"Looks like," Paul returned mildly, refusing to be drawn on the matter despite Chris's best efforts to extract information out of him.

The young witch-whitelighter graciously conceded the point. "Is Stacey about?" he asked instead.

"She's in her studio," Paul told him. "Go on through – I'm sure she'll be pleased to see you."

Chris nodded, and then sought out his friend in the bedroom that she'd converted for use as her creative space. He found her sitting on a low wooden stool in front of a large rectangular canvas, dressed in a pair of paint-spattered sweatpants and an old t-shirt - an outfit that she somehow managed to made look cool and sophisticated despite its distinctly casual nature. She was adding delicate brushstrokes of watercolour to her current work in progress, biting her bottom lip in concentration as she worked.

"It's looking pretty good," Chris remarked as he came up behind her.

Stacey startled a little at the sound of his voice, and then smiled over her shoulder at him in greeting. "Chris – hi! Yeah, it is turning out rather well, isn't it?"

As promised, he'd orbed her up to the top of the Bridge so that she could view the famous landmark from that unique perspective. The experience had gotten Stacey's creative juices flowing like they'd never done before – once she'd gotten her vertigo under control that was. The painting was only half-finished, but already she knew that it would be one of the best works of art that she'd ever produced.

"Your squatter's taken up residence again, I see," Chris remarked slyly, as he sat down on one of the comfortable lounge chairs nearby.

Stacey flicked a fine spray of rust-coloured paint at him with the bristles of her brush. "And since when is that any of your business?" she said, despite the rosy blush colouring her cheeks.

"Just taking an interest," Chris told her airily.

"Sticky-beaking more like," Stacey retorted knowingly.

"Well, I have to make sure you're properly settled before I leave, don't I?" Chris replied in a deliberately offhand manner.

Stacey, however, noticed the subtle reference immediately. "You're leaving?" she asked, a small catch in her voice.

Chris nodded gravely. "It's time," he told her simply.

Stacey sighed a little sadly. "I'm gonna miss you," she proclaimed.

"You've got Paul and your other friends to keep you company," he replied. "And you don't honestly think that my Aunts – or my Mom for that matter – are going to let you be a stranger now that they know of our future family connection, do you?"

"You still think you and Sarah are going to end up friends this time around then?" Stacey asked.

Chris frowned. Up until now, he hadn't really considered that that wouldn't be the case. His life would be different in the new future though, and that possibly meant that his friends would be different too. He wasn't sure he was all that enamoured of that idea. Not to have Sarah in his life was simply unthinkable. She was like a sister to him.

"Yes," he said firmly, "Because you're going to introduce us at the appropriate time."

Stacey smiled. "Which is when?"

Chris thought back. When had he first met Sarah? A glimmer of a memory came to him of a dark-haired little girl with cute pigtails. They were sitting next to each other at a low table with paintbrushes in their hands and she looked about four or five.

"Definitely by first grade," he said, "Maybe even before then though - in Kindergarten, I think."

"Okay, I'll see what I can do," Stacey promised.

Chris nodded in satisfaction. "Good."

"So, when _are_ you leaving then?" she asked.

Chris pursed his lips thoughtfully. The decision was made, so there wasn't really a reason to put it off any longer. "Tomorrow, I think," he answered. "I want to spend some time with my family first, and then…" he trailed off with a shrug.

"So this is goodbye then?" Stacey asked him soberly.

Chris shook his head. "No, it's 'I'll see you in twenty-three years time,'" he told her with a tight smile.

"I'll be in my late-forties then, you know," Stacey pointed out. "Maybe you won't want to know an old lady like me."

Chris laughed. "Forty is not _that_ old," he said, "And trust me; I'll still want to know you, even if I probably will be more interested in socialising with your kids."

Stacey's eyes widened at that. "Wow! I'm gonna be a Mom," she said in quiet amazement.

"What? Already?" Chris teased. "My, my - you and Paul have been busy, haven't you?"

Stacey stuck her tongue out at him. "You're not funny," she told him with heavy sarcasm. "And who says Paul'll be the father of my children anyway?"

Chris grinned rather wickedly. "Call it a hunch," he told her with a sly wink.

Stacey blushed, but didn't contradict his assessment. It was early days, but she had high hopes nevertheless. She and Paul just fit; it was as simple as that. The two of them slotted together like adjoining pieces of a jigsaw puzzle and, somewhere deep inside, she knew that they would remain that way for the rest of their lives.

"He's talking about relocating his studio and gallery to San Francisco, you know," she told Chris.

"But you don't think it's a good idea?" he asked, picking up on her underlying concern over the matter.

Stacey shrugged. "Yes, no. Oh, I don't know!" she said exasperatedly. "Don't get me wrong, I do want us to be together. It's just that Paul is a much more successful artist than I am, and he's worked hard to build up his reputation and client base in Chicago. He'd be giving all that up if he moved here. He'd essentially have to start again from scratch. It'd be so much easier for me to relocate to Chicago, but he won't hear of it."

"Why's that?"

"Because all my family live in San Francisco and he knows how close we are," Stacey explained. "Paul doesn't really have any family, you see. His Mom and Dad were killed in a car accident when he was about fourteen, and he went to live with his Aunt, Uncle and his cousins after that."

"And they didn't get along?" Chris guessed.

"Well, they were kind enough to him and everything, but Paul says he always felt like a spare wheel – the cousin who was staying over temporarily for a few nights, rather than a permanent member of the family. They stay in touch, but they're not particularly close."

Chris nodded. "Trust me, Stacey," he said, "When you lose a parent, you learn the hard way how important family is. Maybe Paul put all his focus into his work because he didn't have anyone in his life to counterbalance that. He does now though, doesn't he? He has you. I would say that might change his priorities a bit."

"You two haven't been conferring, have you?" Stacey said with a slight smile, "Because that was almost word for word what Paul said to me last night."

Chris smiled a little sadly. "I guess that's because we both know what it's like to lose a Mom at fourteen," he said quietly. "Don't worry about it, Stace. I'm sure Paul knows what he's doing and, for what it's worth, I think you're probably worth it."

Stacey beamed at him. "You're such a nice boy!" she remarked and he laughed.

"Just don't tell anyone, okay?" he said. "It'll ruin my fearsome reputation, don't you know?"

A baby's wail interrupted their conversation then, and Chris almost jumped out of his skin at the sound. Stacey giggled at his shocked surprise, and then calmly showed him the baby monitor that had been sitting unobtrusively on the table beside her.

"I have a little houseguest," she explained. "My brother and his wife are in New York for the weekend. I don't know when they've had time to see the sights though, because they must have called about a hundred times already to check how things are. It's the first time they've spent the night away from Sarah, so I guess that means they're excused even if they are being seriously annoying."

"Stacey? Do you want me to get her?" Paul called from the other room.

"No, it's okay. I'll do it," Stacey called back. "Can you put one of her bottles on to warm though? She's about due for a feed, I think."

Chris went through into the kitchen to join Paul, while Stacey went to retrieve her crying niece. Sarah's plaintive wails for attention dulled to a whimper on the appearance of her Aunt, and Chris heard Stacey cooing softly to the little girl as she carried her in from the bedroom.

"There see, sweetie. Look who it is," she said as she entered the kitchen with the baby perched on her hip. "That's Chris, and you and he are going to be best friends in the future."

"Do you want to hold her?" she asked Chris with a questioning look.

Holding up his hands to ward her off, Chris took a wary step back, shaking his head violently from side to side. "No thanks, I think I'll pass," he said.

Stacey laughed at his wild-eyed horror. "You hold Wyatt all the time."

"Yeah, and that's seriously weird too," Chris returned with a shudder. "It took me ages to get used to that. I think I'll forgo that dubious pleasure this time around if it's all the same to you."

"She so sweet though, aren't you honey?" she cooed to the baby girl in her arms.

As her proud Aunt softly kissed her downy cheek, little Sarah turned her solemn brown-eyed gaze on Chris. Her look was faintly quizzical at first, and then she suddenly beamed at him and let out a stream of delighted little giggles.

Paul laughed. "I guess that means she likes you," he remarked.

"She does sort of look like Sarah," Chris observed, squinting slightly as he studied his future friend's chubby, baby-round face.

"Well, I should hope so," Stacey said. "Is she as cute as this when she's older?"

"She's cute in a different way when she's older," Chris told her with a grin.

"Oh yeah?" Stacey said, her eyebrows rising in speculation.

Chris shook his head in exasperation. "Merely a clinical observation," he said, "I told you before, we're…"

"Just good friends, yeah I know," Stacey cut in with a roll of her eyes.

She sat down at the table then and took the warmed bottle of formula that her boyfriend was holding out to her. Setting the teat against her niece's rosebud lips, she gazed fondly down into Sarah's little face as she began to suckle, her tiny cheeks hollowing with the effort. Paul sat down next to them both, and Stacey smiled warmly at him as he reached out and tenderly brushed her hair out of her eyes.

"Well, aren't you two just the definition of cosy?" Chris remarked teasingly from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter, his arms folded casually across his chest.

"Shut up, Chris," they both said in unison and he chuckled rather impudently.

"So, does my niece have any friends I _will_ approve of?" Stacey asked him with an arch look.

"Boyfriends, you mean?" Chris questioned, deliberately ignoring her sly little dig. Stacey nodded in the affirmative and he wrinkled his forehead as he thought about it.

"Umm, probably not," he eventually concluded. "She has the worst taste in men if you ask me. She's got a real 'bad boy' thing going on, and they always end up letting her down. It's weird. She's so sensible normally, but it's like she hits the self-destruct button when it comes to guys."

Stacey had her private suspicions about the reasoning for that, but she chose not to voice them. It wasn't as if Chris would listen anyway. Once Sarah had finished her feed and had her diaper changed, the three of them took their tiny charge to the nearby park for some fresh air. They spent a pleasant afternoon there - interrupted by several phone calls from Sarah's overanxious parents - and then finally returned to Stacey's apartment around five o'clock.

Chris cleared his throat as his friend lifted her drowsing niece out of her pram and settled the baby comfortably against her shoulder.

"Umm, I should probably get going," he said, uneasily shuffling his feet. He _hated_ goodbyes.

"I know," Stacey said, her voice on the edge of tears.

"Paul," Chris said, offering his hand to the man in question. "Take care of her, okay?"

"I'll do my best," Paul promised, shaking his hand. "Have a safe trip, mate." He turned to his girlfriend. "I'll put the little one down for her nap, shall I?" he said, taking the baby out of her arms.

Stacey watched him retreat into the bedroom and then sighed and looked back at Chris. She held out her hands towards him and he slipped his fingers into hers.

"Thanks for everything," she said before he had the chance to say anything.

"What? For getting you attacked by demons, you mean?" Chris quipped with a wry chuckle.

"No, for opening my eyes to the things in my life that I was too blind to see," she told him seriously.

Chris shot her a perplexed look. "I'm not sure I follow."

"I don't think I ever understood what being a witch really meant before," she explained, "But I know now, and I'm going to do my bit for the cause from now on. And then there's Paul, of course."

"But I didn't have anything to do with that."

"Yeah, you did. Paul and I - we've known each other for years, but I've always held him at arm's length. I was scared, I guess. I've always been cautious when it comes to love. You said I lived in Philadelphia in your future. Was I married? Living with someone?"

Chris frowned. "I'm not sure."

"Did Sarah ever mention an Uncle? Or cousins for that matter?"

Chris shook his head. "No, no, she didn't."

"I think that's probably because there wasn't any," Stacey remarked shrewdly. "Paul's pretty patient, but I think he would have given up on me eventually, and I'm fairly certain that would have broken my heart. I would have realised too late that I loved him, and some other lucky girl would have snapped him up in the meantime. I'm not sure I would have ever recovered from that."

"You saved me from that heartache though, Chris. When you left me in Chicago three months ago, I was a bit of an emotional mess – knowing that the world might be about to go to hell does that to you, I suppose. I desperately needed someone to talk to, so I took a leap of faith and confided in Paul about who I was. I would never have done that if I hadn't met you, and it was definitely the turning point in our relationship. Without that unknowing little push you gave us in the right direction, I don't think we would have reached the point we're at now, I really don't."

"Do me a favour and don't blow it then," Chris said, heart warmed by her sentiment but a little too self-conscious to admit it.

She poked her tongue out at him, and then pulled him into a friendly hug. "Make sure you look me up when you get back to the future, okay?" she told him. "I'll be very cross with you if you don't."

"Better do as I'm told them, hadn't I?" he responded.

"Mmm, you better had," she said as she stepped back and released him from her embrace.

Chris gave her a whimsical little smile. "Have good life, Stacey," he said. "Make the most of it, okay?"

"I will," she promised him. "I'll see you in twenty-three years, all right?"

"Count on it," he told her with a wink, and then he was gone in a plume of blue lights…

As the twinkling orb sound faded out, Stacey became aware of a presence behind her and she turned to see Paul standing in the doorway to the lounge. "How much did you overhear?" she asked him.

"Enough," he told her, then crossed the room in two strides and enfolded her in his arms. "I wouldn't have given up on you," he said into her hair.

Wrapping her arms around his back, Stacey let out a helpless little laugh and buried her face against his chest. "I'm pretty sure you'd have given me up as a lost cause eventually," she said. "You're not that much of a masochist."

Paul speared his fingers through her hair and gently tugged her head backwards so that she was forced to look him in the eye. "Whatever," he said nonchalantly. "It's all water under the bridge now, isn't it? Whatever happened in the other future is irrelevant. It's what we make of the here and now that counts."

Stacey smiled up at him. "Well, I guess we better get started on that then," she told him softly, then drew his face down to hers and kissed him with everything that was in her heart…

**OOOOOO**

On his return to the Manor, Chris orbed back into his bedroom rather than downstairs where his family were currently gathered. He needed a few minutes to compose himself for what he was about to do.

Saying goodbye was never easy - he knew that better than anyone. He'd said goodbye to an entire past and future along with everything and everyone in it. This goodbye however – for him at least anyway - would only be temporary, even if he didn't know quite who he'd be at the next hello. For his family though – well, twenty-three years was a long time in anyone's book and the separation was bound to take its toll in some respects.

There was nothing for it however; this was the way it had to be. None of them had any choice in the matter, it just was. They all knew it and they all had to accept it. It was the price they paid for securing a better future – a future that, hopefully, would not be without its ensuing rewards.

Squaring his shoulders, Chris drew in a couple of deep breaths and then purposely turned towards the door. Like it or not, it was finally time for him to go downstairs and give his family the inevitable news…

_**To be continued…**_

**A/N2:** _This was meant to be the penultimate chapter, but they'll be two more now – 'The Last Supper' and 'No Place like Home.' The next chapter might be a little shorter than normal though, because it was originally meant to be part of this one, only I waffled a bit too much! LOL!_

_Till next time then,_

_CharmedBec x_


	38. The Last Supper

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Well, here it is – the penultimate chapter (sob!). This is the wrap-up chapter, whereas the last part is more along the lines of an epilogue. This chapter also ended up being a whole lot longer than I expected to be, which is good (I hope!). Please enjoy but brace yourself for the mushy bits! LOL!

Anyhow, on with the show…

**OOOOOO**

**_Chapter 38 – The Last Supper_**

"Hello? Earth to Piper!"

"Huh?" Piper shook herself out of her abstracted reverie and focused her gaze on her youngest sister, who was waving her hand in front of her face in an attempt to gain her attention.

"Are you okay?" Paige's voice held a hint of underlying concern in it.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," Piper quickly assured her.

Only she lied. She was not fine, she was anything but fine. The day she had dreaded for months now had finally arrived. She could feel it her bones, in the child stirring in her belly. She'd seen it in Chris's jade-green eyes only a few hours before when they'd been sharing a quiet lunch together. He hadn't said the fateful words yet, but she'd taken one look at him and instinctively known that something had changed. She could read the subtleties of her son's body language like only a mother could, and she knew what it meant.

She'd not said anything to him about it though, because somehow voicing it made it real and she wasn't ready to face that – not yet, not now, not ever really. Nobody should have to be separated from their child for that long. Twenty-three years was practically a lifetime. How would she ever endure it?

Alerted by a faint rustling sound, she looked up and saw Chris standing in the doorway of her homely kitchen, his expression gravely resigned. Anguish curled low in her belly and she stubbornly shook her head. "No," she said in a tiny voice just above a whisper. "No."

"Mom…"

His voice was pleading with her and she couldn't resist its pull. Don't make this harder than it already is, he silently beseeched her, and she couldn't deny him his request. She would bear anything for his sake, for his brother's, because that was what a mother did. Her children were her primary concern – always. Everything and everyone else just had to wait in line.

"It can't be time yet," she said to him, tears standing out in her brown eyes and glistening on her eyelashes.

Chris gave her a lop-sided little smile as she stepped around the counter and waddled rather ungainly towards him. "It's way past time, Mom," he told her regretfully. "I don't belong here, not anymore. My real home is twenty-three years into the future. This time, this place – it belongs to mini-me in there." He gestured at her rounded stomach. "I know it sucks, but it's the way it is."

Piper nodded, knowing that he was right, but hating that he was. It was hard to equate the baby growing inside her womb with the gangly six-foot young man standing in front of her. She'd gained an instant grown-up son and it had taken her some time to get used to that. Now that she had though, she didn't want to let him go – not ever. She adored his annoying little foibles and his quirky, offbeat sense of humour. She loved that his personality was a peculiar mixture of herself, Leo, and something that was also totally unique to him.

There had always been a strange kind of detached sadness about him however. He kept himself on the periphery of their lives, despite their best efforts to draw him in. He just wasn't part of the family in the same way that Wyatt was. And that wasn't because they loved him any less; it was exactly as he'd said. He didn't belong here; he was out of his time, living a suspended bubble of reality where everything stayed the same for him, while their lives proceeded steadily onwards at a stately pace. He could not move on until he returned to the future. Only then would his new life truly begin. He was Wyatt's little brother, not the other way round. He deserved to be who he was born to be, and that meant letting him go even if it was going to shatter her heart into a million pieces.

She held out her arms to him and he stooped his six-foot frame to hug her with a son's ready affection. "I'm gonna miss you," she told him.

"I know," he said into her hair and then smiled. "You'll have plenty to keep you occupied in the meantime though."

Piper released him and stepped back. "Is that a roundabout way of telling me that you and your brother are going to be a major handful?" she asked.

"Boys will be boys," he told her with a grin. "And besides, it'd be kind of boring if we were perfectly behaved now wouldn't it?"

Leo let out a wry little chuckle at that, and Piper turned to look at him as he rose to his feet and walked across the room to join them. "I don't think I like that you know more about our sons' lives than I do," she complained with a pout, referring to the future memories that the other Leo had passed onto him.

Her husband smiled. "That was a different life, a different time," he said sagely. "We shouldn't go into this with any expectations of how it's all going to turn out. We'd be doing ourselves – and our boys - a disservice if we did that. We need to let them find their own path in their own way. As their parents, we owe them that."

Chris nodded in wholehearted agreement. His father's pronouncement led rather neatly into something that he'd wanted to bring up for a while now. "I don't think you should tell Wyatt and the other me about me either," he said.

"What?" Piper looked at her son in stunned amazement. "We can't do that!"

"Yes, you can, Mom," he insisted.

"They'll have to know eventually," Leo said. "It's going to be a big adjustment for them both when you arrive in their lives."

"I know," Chris said, "But I'm adaptable and Wyatt is too. We'll figure it out when the time comes. I don't want my other self to grow up with too many expectations hanging over him. And Wyatt… well, I know my brother and I know he'll end up feeling responsible for everything, and he shouldn't have to carry that until he's old enough to deal with it."

"But Wyatt already knows you," Phoebe said from where she was sitting at the kitchen table, nursing a cup of coffee between her palms.

"He's eighteen months old," Chris pointed out to her. "In a few years' time, he'll only have the vaguest recollection of me unless you reinforce it."

Piper sighed. There was a certain logic to what her son was saying. Little Wyatt and the baby inside of her were still innocent, untouched by the trials and tribulations of those around them. It wouldn't be fair to burden them with everything that had happened here. They deserved a proper childhood in spite of who they would grow up to be.

She studied the rather wearied young man before her. He'd not had that. Life had taken its toll on him when he'd barely even reached adolescence. If they gave the second Chris a relatively unburdened early life, maybe, just maybe, this Chris might find some peace in that when he finally arrived in the new future. It was that hope that gave her the impetus that she needed to grant his rather unorthodox request.

"Okay," she agreed. "We'll do it your way."

"I give you permission to blame it all on me if it backfires," Chris promised.

Leo chuckled. "I don't think it'll come to that," he said. "Because I think we're going to have to reserve the right to reveal your secret if we feel it necessary. We're your parents and it's our responsibility to do what's best for you."

Chris nodded. "All right," he agreed. "I reckon I can live with that."

"So when _are_ you leaving?" Paige asked from where she was sitting at the counter behind him.

"Tomorrow," Chris replied, turning his head to answer his youngest Aunt's question.

"So soon," Piper said in a sad little voice.

"I'm afraid I might lose my nerve if I put it off much longer," he confessed somewhat ruefully. "Merging into one person with the grown-up mini-me sounds like a moderately horrendous process if you ask me. I can't say I'm really looking forward to it."

"I don't think it'll be nearly as bad as you think," Leo said soothingly. "It might be a bit of a shock to the system at first, but I think, in the long run, you'll find the experience will enhance your life rather diminish it."

Chris grimaced rather theatrically at that. "I think I might continue to privately freak out over it, if it's all the same to you," he said dryly.

"Okay," Piper said in a brisk tone. "If this is your last night, then I think a special dinner is in order." She turned to her sisters. "I'll need you two to go to the store," she told them peremptorily.

Paige wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Can't we just…?" She waved her hand to illustrate her point.

"No, we can't," Piper said firmly. "Cheating with a special dinner is tantamount to sacrilege in my opinion."

"Tastes the same though," Paige remarked under her breath.

"No, it doesn't," Chris cut in helpfully – or unhelpfully depending on your point of view. "It tastes different when Mom cooks it."

Piper beamed at her son, who glowed under the warmth of her approving smile. "See," she told her sister with a strong hint of 'I told you so' in her tone.

"Are you sure you wouldn't rather leave now?" Paige asked her nephew with a note of complaint in her voice.

"Paige!" Piper exclaimed in outrage even as Chris laughed at his Aunt's acerbic quip.

Paige winked at him and then turned back to her sister. "Relax, I didn't mean it," she said, as she hopped down off her perch and walked over to where her nephew was standing just inside the door to the kitchen.

"I'm really gonna miss the neurotic little freak," she added, reaching out to ruffle his hair with the express intent of annoying him.

Chris batted her hand away irritably and she grinned at her success. "Works every time," she declared triumphantly, and her nephew rolled his eyes.

"It's funny how little things amuse small minds, isn't it?" he retorted glibly.

In reality though, he was grateful to her for dispersing the somewhat heavy mood. He wasn't indifferent to what his leaving meant for his parents, but he'd rather that his last few hours in the past didn't descend into a long-winded maudlin farewell all the same.

"So, is there anything I can help with?" he asked his Mom, falling back on her own tactic of using household chores to mask the uncomfortable emotions roiling inside.

Piper shook her head. "No, you're the guest of honour. Why don't you and your Dad go grab a beer or something? Dinner'll be ready at seven-thirty."

Chris stared at her in abject amazement and she crossed her eyes at him. "What?" she asked.

"Whatever happened to 'just because you're boys doesn't mean you escape the domestic chores'?" he asked. "I thought 'no son of mine is going to turn into a lazy, chauvinistic slob when he grows up'."

"Too right," Piper agreed with an emphatic nod, "But this is a special occasion, so I think I can let it slide just this once."

"I'd beat it now before she changes her mind if I were you," Phoebe advised with dry aplomb.

Chris exchanged a quick look with his father and then the two of them orbed out. Paige shot her eldest sister a quizzical look, her eyebrows raised. "What was all that about?" she asked.

Piper shrugged as she sat down at the table with a pad of paper and pen that she'd just retrieved from one of the drawers. "I figured a little father-and-son time might be in order," she said as she began to scribble down her shopping list.

"I think you're going to put me out of a job, Piper," Phoebe commented ruefully.

"Err – hello? Still in the dark here," Paige interrupted.

"Chris is obviously pretty apprehensive about going back to the future," Phoebe explained to her sister.

"Yeah, so would anyone be if they were about to become a complete Siamese twin with their future self," Paige remarked acidly.

"I think there's a little bit more to it than that, Paige," Phoebe said. "Why do you think Chris never told us who he was when he first came here?"

"Because he didn't want to have to deal with his Leo issues, I suppose."

"And?" Phoebe prompted.

Paige experienced the proverbial light-bulb moment then. "Oh," she said, "And because of the other Piper too, I guess."

"Exactly. Losing your Mom once is bad enough – But to lose her twice..."

"But that's not going to happen this time around," Paige protested. "Alcathan had the other Piper killed to unleash Evil Wyatt, right?"

"Logic says that, yes," Phoebe agreed, "But I don't think that's going to be enough to take away Chris's fear of losing her again, do you?"

"And he's not going to talk about it with me around either, is he?" Piper put in.

"See? Putting me out of a job," Phoebe remarked lightly.

Piper smiled. "Not really," she disagreed. "It's more mother's intuition than empathy. It only really works with my boys."

"Phew!" Phoebe said. "I was getting a bit worried there for a minute."

Piper set aside her pen and tore the finished list from the pad. "Here," she said, handing it over. "Don't forget anything."

Phoebe nodded, then reached out and placed her hand over her sister's. "You are okay with this, aren't you?" she asked, gently squeezing her fingers.

"No," Piper admitted, her eyes downcast, "But there's no way I'm going to burden Chris with my cutting-the-apron-string issues. He has enough to deal with already. I can unravel at the seams after he's gone."

"You won't be losing him forever, Piper."

Piper raised her sad gaze to her sister's face. "I know, but it won't ever be the same, will it?"

Phoebe sighed, knowing that to be true. There wasn't anything they could do about it though. It was the way it had to be and they had to accept it. "We'll figure it out," she assured her sister.

"I hope so," Piper replied with a dejected sigh. "I really do."

**OOOOOO**

_**The Golden Gate Bridge…**_

Leo sat beside his son in companionable silence. Neither had felt the need to interrupt the quiet calm with talk just yet. They both needed a little time to absorb what Chris's leaving truly meant for them first.

The Elder couldn't quite believe that they'd reached this point. When Chris had first exploded into their lives, he'd been instantly suspicious of him. Probably due to the waves of animosity that he'd subconsciously felt emanating from his as yet unknown son - although he was honest enough to admit that at least part of their tricky early relationship had been down to his own attitude to the situation. He had been resentful, angry, had felt that Chris had usurped his rightful position in the girl's lives. He had not wanted to be an Elder, hadn't once wished for anything beyond what he already had. He was perfectly happy being the Charmed Ones' whitelighter, Piper's husband and Wyatt's father, and this young upstart had driven a truck right through the centre of that ideal.

His future self's obvious affection for Chris had completely thrown him therefore. In the beginning, he hadn't known what to make of it, but it had all finally fallen into place when he had at last discovered the truth about their mysterious interloper's identity. All those negative feelings had melted away in that one split second of revelation – Chris was his son. What he'd done - what he'd sacrificed - simply overrode everything else. It hadn't been the instantaneous love that he'd felt when he'd first held a newborn Wyatt in his arms, but it had come pretty damn close. And now... now he wondered how any of them had ever been complete without Chris in their lives.

"We've come a long way, huh?" he remarked softly, finally breaking the contemplative silence.

Chris shot him a brief sidelong glance. "You could say that, yeah," he agreed.

"Still a long way to go though," Leo went on.

Chris nodded and swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing from the effort. "Sometimes I wish I could just stay here," he admitted quietly. "I don't think I ever really understood what it meant when I first came to the past. I was just thinking I had to do something to make things right again."

"And you did – make things right again, I mean."

"Did I though?" Chris asked rhetorically. "Oh, I know I stopped Alcathan from getting to Wyatt, but what about everything else? Have I changed that?"

"Your Mom, you mean?" Leo said, quickly picking up on the root meaning behind his son's question.

Chris nodded. "What if… what if it was just her time?" he asked in a small voice.

Leo sighed. "You know I can't give you any guarantees, Chris, but given the violent way she was taken, I can't believe that it was. She's done so much; the Angel of Destiny owes her better than that."

"It still took Aunt Prue," Chris pointed out.

"For a reason," Leo replied. "To lead Paige to her family, and for you – so that you could save your brother from a lifetime of darkness."

"Why didn't they just make her a whitelighter then?" Chris asked curiously.

Leo chuckled. "I don't think your Aunt has quite the right temperament for that," he said. "Whitelighters are meant to be passive. They advise; they don't generally act."

"You do," Chris pointed out.

"Only as an Elder," Leo replied, "Or when my family is directly involved."

"But what about me, Aunt Paige? Wyatt even?"

"None of you are pure whitelighters. Your inability to remain on the sidelines is down to the witch in you. Prue is pretty much the same – she'd make a very bad whitelighter – that's why the Elders made her a Spirit Guide instead."

"How many other Spirit Guides are there?"

"Right now – none," Leo told him. "In a few months time – one."

"You mean Aunt Prue is the only one?"

"So far, yes."

"So, what's the difference? Between Spirit Guides and whitelighters, I mean."

"Spirit Guides are generally non-corporeal – although they can become corporeal if necessary. They live between realms; they're the bridge between the living and the dead if you will. Whitelighters only exist in this realm and they retain all the semblance of life, even if they can't technically die unless struck by a darklighter's arrow."

"And Spirit Guides retain their earthly powers too," Chris realised, "Whereas anyone who becomes a whitelighter gets new ones."

Leo nodded.

"So, wouldn't that mean that Grams and Great-Grams are Spirit Guides too?" Chris asked.

"In a manner of speaking," his father replied, "They have to be summoned though. Your Aunt Prue doesn't – she can cross over at will. That's where she's different."

"So, what did happen then? When she saved me, I mean."

Leo shook his head. "Chris…"

"Oh come on, I get why non of the others can know the truth, but I can't interfere with the outcome can I? I won't be here when it happens and by the time I get to the future, it'll all be over anyway. I never did get why it had to be such a big secret."

Leo sighed. "It wasn't that it was a secret, Chris," he explained. "It was just too painful for your other family to relive – as it will be with us, I'm sure."

"I don't understand."

"We came _this_ close to losing you, Chris." Leo held up his thumb and forefinger barely an inch apart. "You were dreadfully injured – my other self, he only just got there in time to save you. That's horrific enough at the best of times, but when you're talking about a four month old baby, it's just… well, there are no words."

Chris swallowed. "I nearly died?" he asked.

Leo nodded gravely. "We'd left you with Sheila that day. Wyatt's nursery was having a 'family picnic in the park' event, but you were only just getting over a cold. The weather was pleasant enough, but your Mom didn't want you being outside all day…"

Leo trailed off and ducked his head. "It's going to be hard for me to hand you over when the time comes," he admitted, "Knowing what's going to happen, I'm not going to want to place you in Sheila's care, but I know I have to if I don't want to risk changing the future again. Sheila's a capable child-carer but she can't protect you from a demon attack."

"Which is what happened, I take it?"

Leo nodded in answer to his son's question. "Yes – I guess we were a little bit blasé. Wyatt's first few months were a plague of demon attacks, but it was different with you. The attacks happened while your Mom was pregnant. They died out after she'd given birth."

"Because Alcathan had got what he wanted by then," Chris remarked bleakly.

Leo nodded. "In retrospect, I can see that it was all a diversion to get to Wyatt, but at the time… What were we supposed to do? Not protect you? It was unthinkable then, it's unthinkable now even knowing what happened afterwards."

"So the attack on me came out of the blue?" Chris prompted.

"Yes, pretty much. I think the demonic fraternity had stepped back and let Alcathan do his thing, but once they'd satisfied themselves that he'd achieved the goal he wanted, they thought they'd have a go. A new Charmed child is like a red flag to a bull to most demons - and you were more vulnerable than your brother had been..."

"You mean I didn't have Wyatt's big scary reputation and superpowers?" Chris put in acidly.

A brief smile crossed Leo's face. "Something like that," he said. "You were fair game and we should have been more aware - not that we could have done much about it if we had known though."

"Why?"

"Because you were attacked by a Lazari Demon."

Chris frowned. "Aren't they extinct?" he said, calling to mind his magical history classes.

"Yes, but some brain-dead demon had gone to the trouble of summoning one. Of course, he lost control of it the moment it became corporeal, but the Lazari obviously still saw the merits of attacking you. Our earthly powers would have been useless against a Spirit Demon though…"

"So Aunt Prue kicked his sorry ass instead."

Leo laughed in spite of the painful subject matter. "Precisely," he said. "The Elder's had warned her that she had a task to perform involving you, but they didn't give her any details…"

"Why not? Wouldn't have that made things much simpler?"

"But we Elders like to set riddles, didn't you know that?" Leo quipped lightly and then became serious again. "Actually, it was more because what she had to do had to come spontaneously from within her. It was very similar to the way you turned me into an Elder – or the way I turned myself into an Elder to be more precise. You may have presented me with the facts, but it was still my choice to act upon them…"

"Wait a minute? Are you saying Aunt Prue turned _herself_ into a Spirit Guide?"

Leo nodded. "Exactly. She sensed you were in dreadful danger, and she astral projected herself across the divide to protect you."

"Wow!"

"That's why it had to be Prue," Leo explained, "Because she had the power to astral project, and because she had a strong enough active power to eliminate the Lazuri demon as well."

"But I was injured?"

Leo nodded, his expression pinched and strained. "The Lazuri had already knocked over your bassinet by the time she got there," he said shakily, "You'd landed on your head and…" He broke off and swallowed. "Anyway, Prue took out the Lazuri and then screamed for me. I got there just in time, but I think the horror of that image of you – so tiny and covered in blood – well, it'll live with us all for the rest of days. None of us like to talk about it. Your Mom especially."

Chris didn't know what to say. The reality of what his Aunt Prue had done for him had always been a mystery to him, and now he knew why. He hadn't realised how close he'd come to meeting an early grave. He swallowed and pushed his mind away from that disturbing thought, focusing on something else about the conversation that had bothered him. He found the way that his father vacillated between describing his other self in the third and first person decidedly disconcerting. It was as if Leo viewed the two of them as separate and combined all at the same time, which in a way Chris supposed they were.

The same was true for all his family to some extent, he guessed. His Mom and Aunts had different lives, but they were still essentially the same people inside. His Dad was almost as much of a hybrid of his two selves as Chris would be when he returned to the future though. It gave them a peculiar kind of extra connection, which he guessed was his first father's intention all along. He cast his mind back to the conversation between this Leo and himself on the subject shortly after his first father had returned to the future…

_**Flashback…**_

"Your father – he asked me to… well, to take on his memories of you. He didn't want you to have to deal with the memories of that time, especially the darker ones, by yourself."

"And you said yes?" Chris had asked rather incredulously, "But… but why would you do that? Why would you _want_ to do that?"

"Because you're my son."

"You barely even know me."

"That's kind of beside the point, Chris. When you have children of your own, I think you'll understand. You'll want to do anything just to protect them. You'll willingly lay your life on the line a thousand times over if needs be."

"I… I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. Just know that I'm here if you ever need to talk."

_**Back in the present…**_

"What?" Leo asked, when Chris looked over at him with an unreadable expression in his green eyes.

"I love you, Dad."

He didn't think he'd ever said it to this version of his father before. At least he couldn't remember ever having done so. He seemed important to say it now though, before he returned to the future. Afterwards, those feelings would be irrevocably entwined with those his other self would carry for the father who had raised him from infancy, and there would be no way to separate them.

"I love you too, son." Leo's voice was choked as he reached out and affectionately laid his hand on the back of Chris's head before he patted him between the shoulder blades and let his hand drop.

Chris sighed and gazed out over the horizon, watching as the orange ball of the sun slowly sank out of sight. His father was right – there were no guarantees where Piper was concerned, but Chris knew with a profound kind of certainty that he wouldn't ever be alone again. He would always have his Dad, his brother and the rest of his family, and while that could never take away the pain of his mother's loss, it would be reason enough to carry on.

"So," he said conversationally as the twilight faded and darkness descended, "How about that beer then?"

**OOOOOO**

_**Several hours later…**_

Leaving her sister stacking the dirty dishes in the dishwasher, Phoebe left the kitchen and wandered through into the dimly lit conservatory. Chris was sitting cross-legged in one of the wicker chairs, his hands resting in his lap and his eyes lost in thought. Piper and Leo were upstairs putting a reluctant Wyatt to bed. The little boy couldn't say many words yet, but he had learned the meaning of the word no with a vengeance. He had not been happy when he realised he'd be missing out on all the fun and had been quite vocal about it, much to his brother's intense amusement.

"He always was a bit of a problem child," he'd quipped jovially, earning himself a censorious look from his flustered Mom who was having to endure her child's first full-blown temper tantrum.

"He's a bit young for the terrible twos, isn't he?" she lamented in chagrin.

"I guess he must be advanced for his age," Paige had laughed. "You must be so proud."

This had sent Chris into gales of uncontrollable laughter and Phoebe smiled at the remembrance of her nephew's open amusement. He was normally so tight-lipped and introvert, but she'd noticed a change in him these past few months. He was living again; her psychologist's brain informed her. His life had been on hold since Wyatt's turning, but now he was finally able to move on from that. Going back to the future was just another step along that healing road.

Given the circumstances, Phoebe had fully expected the family dinner to be awkward and contrived, so had been pleasantly surprised when that simply hadn't been the case. It was as if they'd each resigned themselves to what was about to happen and were determined to make the most of the time they had left. Consequently, the atmosphere had been relaxed and happy - turning what could have been an excruciatingly painful farewell into something significantly more celebratory in tone.

Goodbyes had to be said though, so, with that in mind, she crossed to interrupt her nephew's solitary sojourn. He looked up as she approached and a flicker of a smile crossed his handsome face.

"Uh-oh," he said and she made a face at him.

"Aren't you ever serious?" she asked.

Chris looked at her in faint surprise. "I'm always serious," he told her.

Phoebe sat down across from him. "Not anymore," she pointed out.

Chris's green eyes widened slightly at that. "I guess that's true," he admitted.

It had been hard to see the humour in things in his future, but he'd been somewhat of a practical joker growing up. It was amazing how much of himself he'd lost when his brother had turned. With a brighter future on the horizon though, he was slowly rediscovering the person he used to be and it felt good. He smiled at his Aunt and she smiled back.

"I'm gonna miss you," she told him.

"Even though my endless demon hunts interfered with your hectic social life?" he asked teasingly.

"You were doing that for a reason, I get that now," she said. "And besides, it's not like I'll be allowed to slack off after you're gone anyway. I know your Dad appears mild-mannered and easy-going, but he can be a hard task-master when he wants to be, believe me."

Chris laughed, knowing that was – at least partly – true. His father had been insistent about making sure he and Wyatt were prepared for the future, for what their family destiny meant for them. He knew his Mom hadn't been happy about Wyatt's sword training as a boy, but also knew that his father had overridden her strident objections with uncharacteristic authority. His Mom appeared on the surface to be the dominant partner in his parent's marriage, but Chris was intelligent to realise that his Dad was not easily dissuaded from what he believed to be right in spite of his wife's volatile nature.

Phoebe rose to her feet and stooped to hug him. "I'm not gonna say goodbye," she said as he returned her embrace.

"You're not?" he enquired.

"No." She turned her head and lightly kissed his cheek. "'Cus I'm going to be seeing you." She drew back. "In twenty years time maybe," she added, "But I'll be seeing you nevertheless."

Chris nodded and Phoebe smiled down into his face. "Well," she said, her solemn mood lifting, "I guess I better let Paige have her turn."

Chris looked up to see his youngest Aunt hovering in the doorway and he grinned. "Geez! I sure am popular tonight."

"That's because we're glad to see the back of you," Paige replied as she came into the room, crossing paths with Phoebe as she left.

"I knew there had to be some reason," Chris returned and Paige laughed.

"Is it always like this between us?" she asked.

"Like what?"

"You know – sort of a love-hate thing."

Chris smiled. "I don't hate you," he reassured her. "I guess you all have your own particular roles in my life."

"Come again?" Paige's expression was puzzled.

"Aunt Prue is the sort of the Magical Aunt – I mean she's who I go to for advice on all things otherworldly. Phoebe's the Agony Aunt…"

"Literally?" Paige asked lightly.

"Sometimes," Chris replied frankly, making her laugh.

Chris chuckled too. "No – she's who I talk to about, you know, human stuff."

"And I'm what then? The cool, hip Aunt?"

"Well, that might be going a little bit far, but that's pretty much it, yeah."

Paige glowed. "I reckon I can live with that," she decided. "It seems like the best of the three if you ask me."

Chris smiled. "No," he said astutely. "It's just who you are. I guess you encouraged us to look outside the box, to bend the rules a little sometimes."

"I bet your Mom loved that!"

"She gritted her teeth frequently," Chris said, "But we needed it, you know? I never would have come here otherwise. This kind of time travel, it's not exactly allowed. And Wyatt – I think with what he has to do, he's gonna need some of your outside-of-the-box thinking."

"You make it sound like the Charmed Ones only exist to prepare the way for your brother and you," Paige observed.

"You do," a voice from the doorway cut in.

"Or at least that's one of the more important roles you have to play," Leo amended. "You obviously have influence outside of that, but preparing things for the next generation is what this family is all about, what it's always been about ever since Melinda Warren passed her amulet onto her daughter."

Paige nodded. "I guess I'd never really looked at it like that," she said and then grinned at her nephew. "I guess we did an okay job," she said, before a slight frown marred her forehead, "Apart from the fact that we let Wyatt turn evil of course…"

"I don't think there was any 'let' about it," Leo said gravely. "We missed the signs that's all. And maybe we were supposed to…"

"How do you figure that?"

"The prophecy said Alcathan would be destroyed by Chris and Wyatt's combined hand – maybe this is the only way that could happen."

"You're just making excuses, Leo," his sister-in-law accused him mildly.

Leo shook his head. "No, I will always feel guilty for what happened, but people make mistakes, Paige, it's human nature. You learn from them and move on."

Paige looked at him steadily for a moment and then shook her head with an affectionate smile.

"What?" Leo asked self-consciously.

"You really are the ultimate whitelighter, aren't you?" she said, a statement of fact rather than a question.

Chris looked at his father and realised his Aunt was right. He'd known enough whitelighters in his time to know that his Dad was one of the best – by a long way. But then again, who else was going to guide the irreverent Charmed Ones and father and nurture the Ultimate Power? He was suddenly in awe of the man who had sired him. The entire magical world trembled at the mere mention of the Charmed Ones' and their infant protégé's legendary powers, but the truth was their strength came from an entirely different source, from a power that was more profound than any active magical ability ever could be. From the love of an ordinary man, who had become extraordinary.

"Don't do that," Leo told his son, reading his mind in a way that was uncanny. "I'm just your Dad."

Chris grinned. Yes, he was and for that, he'd never been more grateful…

**OOOOOO**

_**Chris's bedroom, just before dawn…**_

Piper slipped quietly into the tranquil room. In the dawn's approaching light, Chris's face looked peaceful and composed - the careworn expression he usually wore softened by his slumber. Pulling up a chair alongside the bed, she sat down and watched him sleep.

She did this with Wyatt, would do so with the baby in her belly. Right now though, she wanted to savour the preciousness of _this _son's existence, to commit every one of his features to memory to sustain her in the long years of separation ahead. She reached out and pushed a stubborn lock of his dark hair off his brow, then ran her fingers down the side of his face. His skin was rough from the stubble that had developed overnight and it reminded her that her son was a man. A brave, stubborn man who had sacrificed everything to make their lives better. She was so proud of him right now she could burst.

He stirred a little and she dropped her hand from his face, waiting as he slowly came awake and drowsily opened his beautiful green eyes.

"Hey Mom!" he greeted her in a voice roughened by sleep, obviously not particularly surprised to find her there. Did her sons know that she often watched over them in the pre-dawn hours, she wondered.

His eyes filled with unexpected tears then and all thoughts flew from her mind except her concern for him. "Honey – what is it?" she asked.

Chris pressed the balls of his hands into his eyes and shook his head. "I'm sorry," he murmured, his voice thick with embarrassment.

"Don't be ridiculous," she told him, moving from her chair to perch on the edge of the mattress next to him. She gently touched his curled-up fingers. "Look at me," she softly urged.

Chris lowered his hands and she was startled by the anguish in his eyes. "I'm so scared, Mom," he confessed.

"Of what?"

"That I'll never see you again," he admitted in a rush.

"Oh sweetie."

She leaned forward and drew him into her arms. He buried his face against her shoulder and clung tightly to her. She'd caught him off guard, she realised, snuck under his defences while they were still blurred by sleep. She hadn't expected him to talk to her about this and she wasn't sure what to say. She wouldn't make promises that she couldn't keep, but she didn't know how else to comfort him. She stroked her hand over his unruly mop of dark hair.

"You know I love you, don't you?" she said.

He nodded against her shoulder but didn't venture anything else. She sighed.

"I wish I could promise you that everything will be okay but you know that isn't possible."

"I know, Mom," he mumbled. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry – I'm scared of not seeing you again too, you know."

Chris pulled back from her. "You are?"

"Of course I am," she said. "Don't you think I don't want to see you grow up, get married and have children?"

"I'm already grown up," he reminded her with a whisper of a smile.

Piper smiled fully. "No, you're not, not completely. Your life got put on hold. You've never really experienced the transition from childhood to adulthood in the way that most of us do. You've grown up before your time in some ways, but in others, you're still a child."

"But that's okay," she went on, "Because there's a whole world out there for you to see and experience, and I want you to do that. I want you discover the joy in the simple things, to remain the person you are, but also become the person you were always meant to be. And I don't want to be the one who stands in the way of that. You have so much to give, Chris."

He brushed away his tears and let out a wobbly little laugh. "How come you always know just what to say to make me feel better?" he asked.

"I'm not sure I do," Piper replied.

"You do, Mom," he assured her and she smiled.

"Well, I guess that's saying something for a Mom who makes it up as she goes along," she remarked wryly.

He smiled at her then, the expression transforming his whole face. "I love you, Mom," he told her.

She reached out and hugged him again. "I love you too," she responded. "And you'll be okay even if I'm not okay."

"You sure of that, are you?"

She sat back and took his face between his palms. "Yes, I'm sure," she told him earnestly, "Because I know you – and I also know that your Dad and Aunts will be there for you even if I'm not."

Chris ducked his head slightly and she leaned in and kissed his forehead. "And besides," she added playfully, "If I'm gone and you don't make the most of your new life, I plan to haunt your ass until you do."

Chris laughed at that and she smiled inwardly. Mission accomplished. She allowed herself a brief moment of conceit. Her Mommy radar was on fire today. And to think she thought after Wyatt had been born that she'd never get the hang of it. She'd learned a valuable lesson the day she'd temporarily lost her sight and had to take care of her baby by instinct alone. Listen with your heart and you'll know what to do, Leo had once told her. She'd been faithfully following that valuable advice ever since.

"So, what do you want for breakfast?" she asked.

**OOOOOO**

_**The Attic, a few hours later…**_

Chris faced the wooden-panelled wall, a piece of chalk poised in his hand. Once the Triquetra symbol was drawn, his fate was sealed; there'd be no going back. He wanted it and didn't all at the same time. Drawing in a deep breath, he gathered his courage and stepped forward with a sense of determined purpose.

Phoebe watched her nephew rise up on his tiptoes and set the chalk against the wall with sweet melancholy running through her veins. Today was a beginning and an end. A day of intense joy, but also a day of sad farewells. She'd miss Chris's presence in their lives, but she knew that this was the right thing. Today was the day her nephew would finally get his life back and she couldn't have been happier for him.

Paige adjusted a wriggling Wyatt in her arms. The little boy wanted to get down, to play, but she knew she couldn't let him. As the Triquetra symbol slowly took shape, the outline began to glow with blue fire. They'd already recited the Power of Three spell that would send Chris forward to where he belonged, but it required him to open the portal of his own free will and there was always the potential that the wrong person might inadvertently step through it – especially a toddler who was not very steady on his feet. She clutched Wyatt tighter to her, holding him close against her heart even as she let her other nephew go.

Piper placed her hand over her bulging stomach and blinked back her tears. All the goodbyes had been said and now it was time. She wasn't sure how she was holding it all together, but somehow she was. Somehow, she found the strength not to rush across the room, grab hold of her son and hang on for dear life. He was her baby and yet he wasn't. She'd never held him close to her breast and sang a lullaby to him, she'd never taught him to tie his shoelaces and write his name. She'd never scolded his bad behaviour and grounded him for breaking the rules.

No, her other self had done all that. That part of her son belonged to a woman who had died before her time, whose death had sparked a bleak turning point in her family's life. It would not happen again, not if she had anything to do with it. The future that Chris stepped out into would be everything he ever dreamed of, she was determined about that. He would have the life he deserved even if it killed her – she just hoped that it didn't.

Leo looked at his wife as she struggled to contain the war of conflicting emotions inside. She was so stubborn sometimes, didn't like to admit defeat even under the greatest provocation. He transferred his gaze to Chris as he tossed aside the stick of chalk and stepped back to contemplate his handiwork. Piper wasn't the only one, of course, and he was grateful for the tenacity that she had passed onto their youngest son. It had sustained him throughout all of his troubles, and would aid him now as he adjusted to the new life that he had won for himself.

He smiled. The pain of goodbye cut deep, but Leo was more philosophical about it than the rest of his family. He had lived, loved and lost already. He understood the meaning of the word sacrifice all too well, but also recognised the inherent rewards to be gained from such an unselfish act. Twenty years of separation was nothing if the happiness it afforded his son brought him the peace that had been so lacking from his early life. Chris turned to face them then and Leo stood up a little straighter, bracing himself for the unavoidable farewell.

There were no words, Chris realised as he slowly took in the familiar faces before him. This was a leap of faith, a journey into the unknown. He would just have to trust that they would be there to meet him when he reached the end of it. He hugged his Aunts in turn, both of whom had succumbed to the inevitable tears despite their best efforts to hold them back.

He ruffled his baby brother's golden hair with affection. "Be good, kiddo."

And finally, he turned to his parents.

Leo nodded at him once and then drew him into a rough embrace. "I love you, son," he said, a declaration that Chris returned with equal feeling before he stepped back and faced his Mom. Piper held out her hands to him and he took them in his, leaning forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek.

"Bye Mom," he whispered, his voice cracking over the words.

"Bye sweetie. I love you," she returned, her voice surprisingly steady in spite of the tears rolling freely down her cheeks.

"I love you too, Mom. So much," Chris said, and then reluctantly let her hands go.

He cleared his throat and looked over his shoulder at the glowing portal. "Well, I guess it's now or never, huh?" he said, not really expecting any answer.

Piper knew that if she spoke she'd break down completely so she simply nodded. Leo reached out and squeezed his son's shoulder in silent partisanship.

"Reach out and take it, son," he urged.

It was just the encouragement that Chris needed. He took a deep breath, turned around and walked a few paces forward, then paused and looked back over his shoulder at them. He smiled.

"See you in twenty-three years," he said, then lifted his hands in front of him and walked through the shimmering doorway and on towards his waiting future…

**OOOOOO**

_**A couple of weeks later…**_

"Push, Piper!"

"I am frickin' pushing!" Piper said from between clenched teeth.

"Well, push harder!" Phoebe encouraged.

Piper resisted the urge to slam her curled-up fist into her sister's excited face. It was all very well for her; she wasn't the one in agony here. Another contraction overwhelmed her and she went with it, bearing down for all she was worth and yelling out with the effort. Trust Chris to be so stubborn. How many hours had this been going on for now?

Leo winced as his wife's nails cut deeply into his flesh, but he didn't pull away in spite of the pain. It was nothing compared to what she was going through. It had been a longer and more difficult labour than her first one, but they were almost at the end of it now and she was doing remarkably well considering. She'd cursed him more than a few times, insisted that he was never to lay a finger on her ever again, and yet she hadn't once let go of his hand, had continued to hold him close even as she professed to not wanting him around her.

"I can see the head!" Phoebe announced then, her voice shrill with excited anticipation.

Out of the corner of his eye, Leo saw Paige turn and grab a white fluffy towel, which she draped over her hands ready to catch the little person who was about to make his entrance into the world.

Piper gathered her last reserves of strength and pushed with all her might. A few seconds later, a loud wail filled the air with its blissful music and Leo felt a broad smile cross his face as he heard his son's cry for the very first time. Tears were pouring down Paige's cheeks as she placed the squalling, towel-wrapped baby in his exhausted but ecstatic mother's arms.

Piper looked down into Chris's little face, which was bright red and scrunched up from crying. "Hey little guy! I've been waiting for you," she murmured soothingly, tenderly pressing her soft lips to her baby's forehead.

Chris gave a little hiccupping sound and his features smoothed out as he recognised his mother's voice. He opened his eyes and Leo, who was leaning over his wife's shoulder, was startled by their bright blue colour. He'd been expecting green – he'd forgotten that most babies were born with blue eyes. He reached out and stroked his tiny son's cheek, still seeing the other Chris in him in spite of the unexpected eye colour. They would turn green in time – he was healthy and that was all that mattered.

Piper smiled up at him and he bent to kiss her upturned lips.

"He's here," she said quietly when their mouths parted.

"Yes, he is," he agreed.

"Do you want to hold him?" she asked.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" he replied laughingly.

Piper giggled and relinquished her child to his proud father. Leo took his baby son in his arms and gazed down into his round little face. Chris blew bubbles at him and he smiled.

"Welcome to the world, Christopher Perry Halliwell," he intoned solemnly. The choice of middle name seemed appropriate somehow, and he didn't think his wife would have any objections.

"Oh and by the way, just in case you were wondering, I'm your Dad."

_**To be continued for the final time in the Epilogue – No Place Like Home…**_

_**A/N2 – **I know 'Perry' being Chris's middle name is a fan-fiction thing – personally, I think it was just a name he plucked out of thin air. It seemed particularly appropriate in the context of my story though, so I was a slave to convention. LOL!_

_I'm also pleased I managed to weave in the 'Prue rescuing Chris' plotline – I didn't think I'd find an appropriate place to come back to it, but it just sort of happened naturally out of the Leo/Chris conversation which was nice. I hate leaving loose ends._

_Anyhow, till the next and final part..._

_CharmedBec x_


	39. No Place Like Home Part 1

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hi! Sorry to keep you waiting for this update. I ended up suffering with a severe case of writer's block on the very last chapter of the story. Go figure! Anyway, this epilogue ended up extra long so I'm posting it in two parts. This part is a little bit shorter than usual, but it ends at the natural breaking point in the chapter. The second - and longer – part will be up sometime over the weekend (probably Sunday), and then we'll finally be done. After over two years of writing, this story will at last be complete.

**OOOOOO**

_**Previously…**_

Piper smiled up at Leo and he bent to kiss her upturned lips.

"He's here," she said quietly when their mouths parted.

"Yes, he is," he agreed.

"Do you want to hold him?" she asked.

"Is that a rhetorical question?" he replied laughingly.

Piper giggled and relinquished her child to his proud father. Leo took his baby son in his arms and gazed down into his round little face. Chris blew bubbles at him and he smiled.

"Welcome to the world, Christopher Perry Halliwell," he intoned solemnly. The choice of middle name seemed appropriate somehow, and he didn't think his wife would have any objections.

"Oh and by the way, just in case you were wondering, I'm your Dad."

**OOOOOO**

_**Epilogue – No Place like Home **_

_**Twenty-three years later…**_

"Piper?"

Leo awoke to find his wife not in bed beside him. He glanced at the bedside clock – Five A.M. Piper didn't answer his softly spoken query, but he could just make out the outline of her form curled up on the window seat nearby. Her chin was resting on the top of her hand as she watched the approaching dawn through a gap in the drapes.

Pushing back the covers, he slipped out of bed and crossed the room to join her. As he sat down beside her and laced his fingers through hers, Piper forced a smile, although he could tell her heart wasn't really in it. She was in her fifties now, but she was still as beautiful as ever as far as Leo was concerned. A few lines marred the smooth skin of her face, but only the odd grey hair disturbed her dark locks. She'd cut her hair shorter in recent years so that it now framed her face in a sleek, shoulder length bob, a style that suited her greater maturity. He reached out to tuck a stray strand behind her ear, loving the silky feel of it against his skin.

"Today's the day, huh?" he said softly, instinctively knowing what was troubling her without her having to tell him. After nearly thirty years together, they were so in tune that sometimes it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began.

Piper nodded. "I didn't think I'd be so nervous," she confessed. "I want it so much and yet I'm dreading it at the same time. It's been twenty-three years and there's been this ache inside me for so long… but the thought of giving up our Chris…" she trailed off and looked down at their entwined fingers, biting her bottom lip in anxiety.

Leo squeezed her hands. "We're not giving up anything, Piper. Things are about to come full circle that's all. We've watched our sons grow up - become men - but there's always been something missing. I know it; you know it and the boys do too."

"Wyatt doesn't," Piper pointed out.

"I think he does in a way, even if he doesn't know why. And not telling him was Chris's choice – you know that."

"And that absolves us from all responsibility does it?" she said.

"No of course not, but we have to trust that Chris knows what he's doing. If Wyatt takes it badly, then we'll deal with that, but I honestly don't think it's going to come to that. Sure, he might be angry and upset at first, but he'll get over it. He's not the type to hold a grudge."

"What if he's disappointed?" Piper asked fearfully. "The other Chris, I mean."

Leo laughed softly at that. "Piper – you're here, Wyatt's good. Trust me – he is not going to be disappointed. What Chris wants is pretty elemental after all. He wants a happy family and a second chance at life. We've given him both of those things so I really don't think there's anything to worry about."

"I guess not," Piper agreed somewhat dubiously.

Leo wrapped his arms around her and drew her close. "It'll be all right," he assured her as he rubbed his hand soothingly up and down her back.

Piper sighed and settled into him, taking comfort from his quiet strength. "I hope so," she said, "This day has been such a long time coming. I don't think I could handle it if it all went wrong at the last minute."

"It won't," her husband said firmly, "Because we're not going to let it. After twenty-three years of waiting, our family is finally going to be complete, and nothing is going to get in the way of that. Nothing."

**OOOOOO**

_**Three hours later…**_

Chris emerged from a vast sea of nothingness into a hazy kind of dream world. Stepping into the portal had been different this time around. At first, it was all a blur of unintelligible sights and sounds, and then his whole body had pitched forwards into a spinning vortex of brilliant white light. He remembered feeling sick to the stomach and then… nothing… everything had gone black and time had ceased to exist.

Now though, he could feel the pleasant warmth of the early morning sun on his face, and the resultant light turned the blank scene behind his closed eyelids a fuzzy orange colour. The sounds of cars gunning their engines and the chatter of people on the street outside filtered into his confused consciousness, and he could hear the chirping of the birds in the background as they greeted the new day with their usual dawn chorus.

He cautiously opened one eyelid, quickly followed by the other and was instantly blinded by the yellow sunlight streaming in through the open window. With a plaintive groan, he hid his face in the pillow and rolled over, turning his back on the too-bright light. Opening his eyes again, he found himself in unfamiliar surroundings, which felt oddly like home nonetheless.

A photograph on the bed-stand caught his eye then and he quickly sat up, reaching out for the picture with eager fingers. It was a photo of him - with shorter hair - and Wyatt, also looking significantly more groomed than his first future alter ego. They were with their parents and all four of them were beaming happily into the camera. That's not what grabbed Chris's attention though – it was the banner he could vaguely make out in the background. 'Happy 21st Chris' it read in brightly-stencilled letters and his heart leapt inside his chest at the sight. His Mom was still alive – at least she had been two years ago anyway.

He sensed for her with a kind of desperate hope burning inside of him and sagged in relief when he felt her familiar presence coming from somewhere across the city. So he was still in San Francisco then. Where exactly was something of a mystery however. He frowned. Wasn't he supposed to have merged with his other self? Why didn't he feel any different?

He searched within and finally touched on the vague sense of another presence nestling in a far-off corner of his consciousness. There was a wary kind of curiosity in that awareness and he grinned in spite of himself.

'_Okay, so that's weird'_, he thought.

'_Tell me about it_,' the other half of him seemed to respond before the presence quickly faded out again.

Chris was somewhat disturbed by that. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be. He wasn't supposed to replace his other self; he was supposed to join with him. They were supposed to experience this new existence together, become two halves of the same whole. The other Chris would've been loved by their family as much as he had been, and he didn't think they'd be very happy if he was all they got, regardless of how much they may have missed him in the years since his departure.

He didn't have too much time to ponder over that though, because the door suddenly opened and a familiar face appeared around the frame and smiled cheerily at him.

"I brought you coffee," Sarah Macklin said, as she came fully into the room and closed the door behind her.

Chris stared at her in abject horror as she pattered on tiptoes across the polished floorboards and handed him a steaming mug of rich-smelling coffee. She was dressed in a pair of low-slung, red cotton pyjama pants and a form-fitting white vest-top with tiny cerise hearts embroidered all over it, and had quite obviously spent the night. Her shiny mane of caramel-coloured hair was tousled and sleep-mussed, while her dainty feet were bare, her toenails painted a pale pink colour.

"Move over," she said, climbing unceremoniously into the bed beside him and propping up her back with a mound of pillows.

Chris shrank away from her in wordless dismay. Oh no, this was definitely _not_ good. What the hell was his other self thinking? Geez! It was practically incest.

Sarah seemed oblivious to his shocked musings however. "Lazy-bones is still asleep," she told him, "So I thought this'd be the perfect opportunity for us to talk in private."

Chris blinked. "Lazy-bones?" he enquired.

"Wyatt," she explained pedantically as if he should have automatically known to whom she was referring. "I was thinking that we should do something special for his birthday."

"His birthday?" Chris repeated stupidly.

"Yeah, yeah, I know it's not for a few months yet," Sarah said, completely misinterpreting his confusion. "And before you say it, I hadn't forgotten that your birthday is only a couple of weeks away either. It's just that twenty-five is a significant milestone. A quarter of a century. I figured we should organise a surprise party or something to celebrate. I mean if we don't, who will? As his brother and his girlfriend, it's our duty don't you think?"

Chris spat a mouthful of coffee across the bedclothes at that. "His what?" he exclaimed.

"Okay, so now you're acting weird," Sarah said, eyeing him suspiciously. "You're not under some kind of spell, are you?" she demanded.

"No, no, I'm fine," Chris rushed to reassure her. "I just…" He stopped as something clicked together inside his brain. "You've felt like this all along, haven't you?" he said with a sudden clarity of understanding. "About Wyatt, I mean."

Sarah blushed furiously. "Yeah, well, the less said about my silly school-girl crush the better," she said, ducking her head in embarrassment. "And I didn't think you'd noticed," she added, punching him lightly on the arm in remonstrance.

"I hadn't," he confessed. "I only just put two and two together. That's why you've…"

"Been a walking disaster area around men for most of my life?" Sarah finished for him. "Pretty much, yeah. I suppose I went into self-destruct mode when all Wyatt saw was his little brother's tomboyish best friend and nothing else. Looking back on it, I'm glad it happened this way though."

Chris gazed down into her upturned face. "You are?" he asked.

"Well, yeah," she admitted shyly. "A guy like Wyatt - he had to break a few hearts before he settled down, didn't he? And despite my frankly cringe-worthy moping over the whole 'he'll never look my way' scenario, I've gotta say I'm glad he got the wild-oats thing out of his system before he finally decided to notice I was a girl."

"Okay, so this is going to take some getting used to," Chris remarked in a muttered undertone.

"What is?" Sarah asked.

Chris sighed. Damn her and her super-sharp hearing. "You and my brother 'settling down'," he said.

"I thought you said you were okay with this?" Sarah said, a look of dismay crossing her pretty features.

"Would it make a difference if I wasn't?"

"Not now, no," Sarah told him frankly. "It might have done in the beginning though. You've been my best friend for like… well, ever, Chris. I wouldn't want anything to jeopardise that."

"Me neither," he admitted.

"Wyatt and I have been together for ten months now though,. If you had issues with it, you should have said something before."

Sarah's voice was cool and accusatory in tone and Chris flinched. "Sarah, it's not that, I swear. It's just… well, let's just say it's been a weird morning."

Sarah didn't look particularly convinced and he felt a wave of guilt wash over him. The revelations had been coming thick and fast and he wasn't getting any time to process them, resulting in him offending her when he honestly hadn't meant to.

He reached out and placed a consoling hand on her forearm. "Look Sarah," he told her earnestly. "Something is happening here that you don't understand so you're going to have to forgive me if I keep putting my foot in it. I'll explain it all to you very soon, I promise. And just so you know - if I was okay with you and Wyatt yesterday then I'm okay with it today. I just don't necessarily know it yet."

Sarah looked steadily at him. "You do know that didn't make any sense whatsoever, don't you?" she told him.

Chris laughed a touch ironically. "Yeah."

"Well, I always knew you were weird." She shot him a sidelong little smirk and he grinned back at her in return.

"There's a few other things you haven't been telling me lately though," Sarah went on, her tone more serious now.

"What makes you say that?"

"Chris, I know you. I know you've been hiding something – and Wyatt does too by the way. He's not stupid. He knows there's something going on that he doesn't know about."

Chris nodded. Obviously his other self had some inkling of what was about to happen. Had their parents warned him? "All right so that's probably true," he admitted, "But there are reasons, I assure you."

Sarah sighed. "He'll kill me for saying this, but Wyatt's really worried about you, Chris. He's scared of a repeat of four years ago. We both are."

Chris hadn't a clue what she was talking about, but he was luckily saved from having to pretend that he did when Wyatt's familiar voice suddenly rang out and interrupted their conversation.

"Sarah?" he called.

"Damn," Sarah swore, scrambling out of the bed and heading for the door. "Trust him to go against type and actually shift his lazy ass before noon on a Sunday for once. Keep it zipped about the birthday thing, okay?" she said, turning back to look at him and running the tips of her thumb and forefinger across her lips to illustrate her point.

Chris nodded obediently, but when Sarah twisted the handle and opened the bedroom door, a flutter of butterflies stirred in his stomach. This would be his first encounter with his non-evil brother for nigh on nine years now. He was suddenly inexplicably nervous.

"Here, Wyatt," Sarah called and Chris heard the approach of footsteps followed by the sound of a brief kiss.

"Should I be worried?" his brother's amused voice filtered in from the hallway.

"About what?" Chris heard Sarah respond.

"About you being in my brother's bedroom dressed like that," was Wyatt's reply.

"It's a lot more than I was wearing in _your_ bedroom last night," Sarah pointed out with emphasis.

"Good point," Wyatt mused with aplomb.

"And besides," Sarah went on, "I have better taste."

"Hey! Still within earshot here," Chris protested.

Sarah ducked her head back into the room and grinned at him. "Honey, you know I love you, but I mean, come on - that'd just be so… eww!"

She shuddered exaggeratedly and Chris smiled, remembering his own sense of revulsion when he wrongly thought she'd spent the night in his other self's bed. "Definitely eew!" he agreed.

"Some girl is going to be lucky to have you some day though," she told him with a warm smile.

Wyatt appeared in the doorway then, dressed in a pair of dark-blue jeans and a simple white t-shirt. "I'd say that's a matter of opinion," he said dryly.

"Wyatt!" Sarah admonished, and he doubled-over with a slight 'oomph' when she elbowed him lightly in the stomach in remonstrance.

"Hey! I was kidding!" he griped, rubbing his lower ribcage. "There's no need to get physical."

"There's not?" Sarah asked cheekily and Wyatt eyed her suggestively up and down in return.

"Well, if you're offering…" he drawled, hooking an arm around her waist and tugging her up close.

"… then you really need to get a room," Chris interrupted before he could stop himself.

His brother threw him a cat-got-the-cream grin, then effortlessly swept a giggling Sarah up into his arms, and playfully threw her over his shoulder in a fireman's lift. "I was gonna make pancakes for breakfast if you're interested," he called over his shoulder as he strode out of the room with her.

As Sarah's squeals of protest faded into the distance, Chris settled back against the pillows with a sigh. This was going to take some getting used to, he decided. He was so within the mindset of his other life that he couldn't fathom out this one at all. His brother was good – and dating his best friend no less. He hoped Wyatt was treating her right.

He shook his head, knowing he shouldn't be thinking that way. His brother was good – his first loyalty should be to him not to Sarah. It was hard to see it that way though, not when the memory of the other Wyatt was still so fresh in his memory. The only experience he'd ever had of a good Wyatt was as a child and a teenager. He didn't know the man at all, and maybe that was the problem.

Throwing aside the bedclothes, he climbed out of bed, went through into the adjoining on-suite and took a quick shower to clear his head. Five minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, went to the closet and selected a pair of faded Levis and a forest-green t-shirt to wear. Once dressed, he turned for the bedroom door and the new life that lay beyond its threshold.

Something caught his eye as he opened the door, and he grinned at the sight at the pair of roller-blades and hockey stick that were propped up in one corner. His other self had kept up his childhood hobby then. He'd been in the roller-hockey league at High School and, in this life, had apparently followed the sport through into… college maybe? He wondered what else his brand new life entailed.

He wandered down the unfamiliar corridor towards the sound of voices, spying another bedroom on his left and a bathroom to his right before the narrow hallway widened into a large open-plan living area. The kitchen was off-shot from the lounge with a large breakfast bar making up one of the interior walls. Sarah was perched on a high stool at that bar, while Wyatt stood on the opposite side, looking out from the well-equipped kitchen behind him. His brother held a large frying pan in his hand and was currently dishing up the promised pancakes onto three separate plates.

"Took your sweet time, didn't ya?" he remarked as Chris joined them and climbed up onto a stool beside Sarah.

"Oh and of course you're the perfect example of an early riser, aren't you?" Sarah retorted on Chris's behalf and he grinned. Obviously dating Wyatt didn't mean she'd given up on being his own personal cheerleader. Somehow, that made him feel a whole lot better about things and he relaxed a little.

"Are you all right?" Wyatt asked then, casting him a searching look, the expression in his blue eyes full of concern.

Chris immediately tensed back up again, startled by his brother's ability to read his uncertain mood. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," he said too quickly and Wyatt frowned.

After a tense moment, his brother apparently decided to let it pass though and instead pushed the maple syrup across the counter towards him without any further comment.

Chris drowned his breakfast in the sticky, sweet liquid and tucked in, surprised to find Wyatt was actually a very good cook. An ex-chef had raised them both, so it made sense that he would be of course. He didn't take much part in the conversation as the three of them ate their meal, content to sit back and observe the changes that an entirely different future had wrought in his brother and best friend.

Sarah seemed so much happier, her eyes were shining and she laughed often. Her sparkling wit was still as acerbic as ever however, which he found particularly reassuring. She was still the girl he knew, just a little more relaxed and laid-back about her life. He supposed not living in a world run by his evil dictator brother had something to do with that.

Wyatt was a complete revelation. Where his evil counterpart had gloried in his eminent power, this Wyatt radiated a kind of calm self-possession and seemed utterly self-effacing about his magical superiority. His humour was dry and understated, but Chris got the distinct impression that he could turn on the authoritarianism like a faucet should the occasion demand it.

The doorbell rang as they were finishing up their breakfast and Sarah jumped like she'd been shot. "That's not your Mom, is it?" she anxiously demanded of Wyatt.

"So what if it is?" he asked her in a maddening tone of voice.

"She's gonna know I stayed here last night," Sarah said, looking down her pyjamas in wide-eyed dismay.

Wyatt laughed. "I think she knows you stay over already, Sarah," he told her.

"Well there's knowing and there's knowing, isn't there?" Sarah replied. "I'll get dressed," she decided, then slid down from her seat and escaped into the bedroom, her long hair streaming out like a banner behind her.

Wyatt watched her go, his expression unreadable, and then sighed and looked over at his brother. "I've got it so bad," he lamented with a rueful shake of his head.

Wyatt's confession was reassuring to say the least, but Chris wasn't quite sure what to say even so. His brother was obviously sincere, even if he did appear a little resigned to his fate.

"And this is a bad thing?" he asked, finally settling on what he hoped was a suitable response.

"I just thought I'd be a carefree bachelor for a little while longer," Wyatt bemoaned, "But she's under my skin now. She snuck in behind my defences whilst I wasn't looking."

Chris had an epiphany at that point. Wyatt was talking to him man-to-man, brother-to-brother. This is what he'd fought so hard for. For the right to have a normal relationship with his older sibling, to be friends with him and share a slice of his life as he always should have done in the first place. He grinned.

"Maybe bachelorhood is overrated," he suggested.

Wyatt chuckled at that. "Maybe," he conceded. "Fun though," he added as he went to answer the ringing doorbell.

"I won't tell Sarah you said that," Chris called after him and Wyatt laughed again.

It wasn't their Mom at the door, but it was someone Chris recognised.

"Stacey," he exclaimed, jumping down from his stool and hurrying over to greet her.

"Hey you!" Stacey grinned at him as she came into the apartment. "Did I beat everyone else to it?"

"Seems so," Chris replied, giving her a quick hug before he stepped back to take in her altered appearance.

"Don't. I'm old and ugly!" she protested and he laughed. Yes, she was older but she certainly hadn't lost her looks.

He transferred his gaze to the man who had entered the apartment behind her, carrying a large flat package under one arm. "Still around I see?"

Paul Bradshaw set the package down on the floor, leaning it against the sofa to stop it from falling over. "Apparently," he replied.

"Uncle Paul!" Sarah's voice exclaimed from the doorway. "And Aunt Stacey? What are you two doing here?"

"I think the question is – what are you?" Stacey replied teasingly as she hugged her niece hello.

Sarah blushed and cast a quick look at Wyatt before letting out an embarrassed little giggle. "Well…"

Stacey laughed. "Honey, you're past the legal age of consent. It's really non of our business."

Sarah grimaced. "Try telling Dad that," she said.

"Yeah well, my brother always has been manically overprotective."

"So what _are_ you doing here?" Sarah pressed.

"I came to bring my god-son an early birthday present," Stacey replied with a sly, sidelong glance at Chris, who stared at her in utter amazement.

"Your w-what?" he stuttered.

Stacey giggled. "Yeah, I found it a little weird at first too," she said, then gestured at the wrapped package. "Open it. I've been saving it for you."

Chris unceremoniously tore away the brown paper wrapping and admired the painting within. It was the one of the Golden Gate Bridge that she'd been working on when he'd left. "You finished it," he said.

"Yeah."

"Wow Aunt Stacey, it's stunning." Sarah said. "How did you know what the Bridge looked like from that angle?"

"With some imagination and a little help from a good friend," Stacey replied with a wink at Chris.

"So – anyone for coffee?" Wyatt asked then and they all nodded.

"Uncle Paul?" Chris enquired teasingly after Sarah had followed his brother through into the kitchen.

"For twenty-one years," Stacey said, proudly showing him her wedding ring before her expression turned serious again. "Are you okay?"

"Umm yeah, I think so. It all feels kind of weird and my other self seems to be shunted off to one side at the moment."

Stacey nodded. "Your Dad said that might happen," she told him.

"He did?" Chris was remarkably relieved to hear that.

"He said the merging of two souls was a pretty cataclysmic event," Stacey explained, "And that it might take a few weeks for everything to balance out."

"So what's he like then? The other me?"

"Like you for the most part," Stacey replied, "Just a little more carefree, I guess. Not quite so serious and fanatical about things."

"And is he… I mean, am I okay with that?" Chris asked, gesturing towards the kitchen and the couple within.

Stacey giggled. "I think you were a bit shell-shocked at first, but you've gotten used to the idea now. You were concerned about what would happen if they split up, but you don't seem so worried about that any more. Not quite sure why to be honest. Wyatt's a great guy, but he's never been one for long-term relationships."

Chris smiled, remembering his brother's earlier comment. "I think maybe I have a reason to believe that may have changed," he told her.

Stacey beamed. "Well, that's good, because she's head over heels, always has been in fact. I thought when you said she was self-destructive around men that it was you she was hankering after - seems I picked the wrong brother."

Chris sat down on the sofa and curled his legs up underneath him. "And do I know about me?" he asked.

Paul and Stacey exchanged a meaningful look before the latter reluctantly replied in the affirmative. "Yes."

"But Wyatt doesn't?"

"No, no, he doesn't."

"And does the fact that you're both acting all weird have something to do with 'what happened four years ago'?" Chris enquired astutely.

Stacey nodded solemnly. "Yes, but I think you should be talking to your Mom and Dad about that. It's not my place to say anything and I don't really know everything that went on anyway."

Chris looked at her and Paul, unease stirring in his belly. "It was bad, wasn't it?" he asked.

"It was a rough time for you – and your family," was all Stacey would say.

The doorbell rang again then and Chris was bowled over by the sense of a very familiar presence from outside the apartment. "Mom!" he murmured, and then he was on his feet and heading for the door.

Wyatt wandered back into the apartment's living area just in time to see his brother pull open the door and launch himself into their Mom's waiting arms. "Mom," he repeated, his voice thick with emotion.

"Hey honey!" Piper's eyes filled with tears as she held her son close and Wyatt was concerned to see his brother's shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

He hated this. After Chris's emotional breakdown four years ago, he had slowly come to realise that his family were keeping something from him. Something important. They hadn't lied to him exactly, but there was definitely something they weren't telling him.

"It's not time for you to know yet, Wyatt," his father had told him when he'd questioned him about it shortly after his brother's discharge from the hospital.

He'd had to accept that and for the majority of the time, he did. Chris had recovered and things had gradually returned to normal. Except these last few weeks, his brother had started to get antsy again and Wyatt had feared a return of his depression. When he'd shared his concerns about this with his parents though, they hadn't seemed all that bothered. It was almost as if they'd been expecting it and didn't think it was anything to worry about, which only made him even more suspicious.

Chris pulled back from their Mom and turned to greet their Dad, who hugged him and slapped him on the back with an emotion-filled, "Good to see you, son," just as a twinkle of blue orb lights announced the arrival of their two Aunts.

"Oh, I've missed you," Phoebe exclaimed as she and Paige hugged their nephew in a jumbled three-way embrace.

"Not the endless demon hunts though," Paige put in laughingly.

Wyatt's eyes narrowed, they were greeting each other as if they'd been apart for years, when in fact it had barely been forty-eight hours. Something inside him snapped. He'd had enough. They were going to tell him what was going on whether they liked it or not.

"All right, so is someone going to explain why my entire family seems to have completely lost the plot this morning?" he demanded stridently.

They all turned to look at him, shock written across their faces. Okay, so maybe he'd gone a little overboard and turned all 'Twice-Blessed' on them, but damn it, he wanted to know what was going on! He saw his father glance questionably at his brother and that irritated him even more. Why did Chris get to make the decision? It was him who was being unfairly kept in the dark. Just as he was about to point this out, his brother inclined his head in silent acquiescence and his father turned to face him.

"I think you'd better sit down, son," he said, his tone solemn.

Wyatt's heart sank like a stone inside his chest. Something told him that whatever he was about to learn would rock his world on its foundations. Suddenly, he wasn't so sure he wanted to know, but there was no going back now. He'd gone ahead and asked the question, and now he was going to get his answer...

_**To be continued…**_

_**A/N2:**_ _I think part of the reason I had trouble with this chapter was because I felt like I was betraying my character, Chloe, from my 'Unrequited' universe with the Wyatt/Sarah relationship. I had to keep telling myself that this was a completely different AU – one where the first Chris didn't die. I guess I've gotten too attached to my Emily and Chloe characters, huh? LOL!_

_Anyway, see you all soon with the final part._

_CharmedBec x_


	40. No Place Like Home Part 2

**FALSE MEMORIES**

My first posted story here. Also my first Charmed Fanfic, although I have written fanfiction for other shows.

**Disclaimer: **The characters in Charmed do not belong to me. No infringement is intended, no profit is made.

**Summary: **Loved the Piper/Leo/Chris family dynamic in Season 6 so that's when this story is based. Set after Chris-Crossed and Prince Charming. Nobody knows who Chris is yet, but they're about to find out, courtesy of an unexpected visitor from the future…

**Notes: **Hey, remember me? Sorry I didn't post this when I said I would, and apologies that you've had to wait forever and a day for it. Long story, but a string of real life interruptions have gotten in the way of my writing over the past few months. I hate to leave things unfinished though, so here, after a very _long_ time, is the final chapter of this story. I strongly suggest you re-read the first part of the Epilogue to refresh your memory first however, as this is pretty much a continuation of that.

More Author notes at the end, but for now, please read on and enjoy…

**OOOOOO**

_**Epilogue – No Place like Home**_

Twenty minutes later and Wyatt's whole life view had been turned on its head. He'd been evil, a horrible tyrant who had used his powers to maim and torture people – innocent people, his very own brother apparently among his many victims. He didn't know what to think, what to feel, he was simply numb. Sarah's fingers were curled tightly into his, but he barely even noticed them. He was in shock. He'd been evil. Evil…

"Honey…" his Mom reached out a hand towards him, but he abruptly withdrew from her, not yet ready to accept her comfort – or forgive her for keeping something this huge from him for so long.

"Chris knew about this?" he asked, his voice as icy as an artic blizzard. The sense of betrayal was so strong that he couldn't even look at his so-called brother right now.

Piper nodded. "We had to tell him," she replied. "After what happened… well… we had to tell him. I'm sure you understand why."

Wyatt nodded woodenly. "But you didn't feel the need to enlighten me at the same time?" he enquired sullenly.

Piper flinched at his acid tone, but the stubborn set of her jaw indicated that she wasn't going to back down over this. "It wasn't our decision to make," she told him in as calm a tone as she could muster.

"So whose was it then?"

"Mine."

Wyatt turned his head and met his sibling's defiant gaze. "And what gave you the right to make it?" he demanded harshly. "And is that even my real brother talking anyways?"

"Wyatt!" his Mom gasped in protest, but desisted when Leo laid a calming hand on her forearm.

Chris's lips twisted into a wry, humourless smile. "Not exactly. Not right now."

"That'll change," Leo cut in to explain. "The merging process is still taking place inside of you. It'll probably be a few weeks before everything balances out."

Wyatt ignored that and addressed Chris again. "You didn't answer my question," he pointedly reminded him.

"I didn't want you – or me – to grow up with that hanging over our heads," Chris explained, his tone defensive.

"All right so I guess can understand that – from you at least anyhow. But what about later? Why didn't my own brother think I could be trusted with this kind of information? What did he think I was going to do? Turn on him or something?"

Wyatt couldn't keep the resentful bitterness out of his voice and something shifted inside Chris as a result.

"Geez Wyatt! Quit being such an ass, will you?" he exclaimed. "It wasn't like that and you know it."

Wyatt blinked, recognising the slightly different inflection to his sibling's voice, the greater sense of familiarity in it. He squinted as if that would somehow make him see something different in those familiar green eyes.

"Chris?" he questioned warily.

"For the first time in a long while, yes," was his brother's rather cryptic response.

"What the hell does that mean?" Wyatt enquired in annoyed exasperation.

"You'll figure it out," came the supremely irritating reply.

"Are you purposely trying to piss me off? Or is that just a gift with you?"

Chris sighed. "Look, I'm sorry – this is all a little weird." His attention turned inward for a moment and then he suddenly laughed. "Figures," he muttered before he returned his gaze to Wyatt's confused one.

"Is there two of you in there?" Wyatt asked in quiet amazement.

Chris frowned. "Sort of – it's kind of hard to explain. It feels strange but at the same time, completely right too. I finally feel like me for the first time in my entire life."

"So why was it him before and you now?" Wyatt asked.

Chris pursed his lips as he thought about that. "Probably because this is my explanation to give," he finally decided. "The other me – the other half of me – has a lot to catch up on, so I guess I have to take a back seat for a while until he gets everything straight."

Wyatt sat back against the sofa cushions, some of the tension going out of him. "So explain," he said.

Chris nodded, a faraway look in his eyes. "It wasn't a problem until I graduated Magic School," he began. "It only started to get bad when I went away to college. I guess that makes some sort of sense. I mean it's supposed to be the time you discover who you are, isn't it? I suppose it didn't hit me that there was anything wrong until then."

"Wrong, how?" Wyatt asked.

"I felt incomplete somehow," Chris replied. "Half a person. Everyone around me was figuring out all this stuff about themselves, and I was just floundering around not knowing which way to turn. I didn't know who I was, what I wanted to be. Every time I thought I had the answer, all these doubts started to creep in. I second-guessed everything. It was like there was this huge hole inside of me that nothing could fill. It got too much to handle in the end and I tried to block it out. And, well, you know what a spectacular success that was."

Wyatt nodded bleakly. He wasn't likely to forget that fateful night just over four years ago. He'd not spoken to Chris for weeks, which probably wouldn't have been all that surprising if they were just two brothers at college in different states. They were more than that though, and it had always been impressed upon them that they needed to stay in constant contact with each other in case of a magical emergency.

After several unanswered phone calls and unreturned emails, not to mention a complete lack of response via their other method of communication, Wyatt had begun to get worried and had decided to orb across state lines to investigate. Arriving at his brother's dorm-room, he had knocked hard on the door. There had been no answer, but he could sense that Chris was inside. The corridor was teaming with other college students though, so Wyatt had been forced to resort to a little surreptitious magical breaking-and-entering instead of simply orbing himself to where he wanted to be.

What he'd discovered when he'd finally gotten the door open had haunted his dreams for weeks. Chris had been sprawled out unconscious on the bed, an empty bottle on the floor beside him, and one arm dangling limply over the side of the mattress. His skin was grey and splotched, his cheeks stubbly and unshaven, and the stench of stale alcohol hung heavy in the air around him. He'd still been alive thankfully, but had managed to drink himself to the edge of alcohol poisoning nonetheless.

Unfortunately, just as Wyatt had reached out his hands to heal his near comatose sibling, Chris's roommate had arrived home, forcing him to get his brother more routine medical help for the state he'd gotten himself into. Looking back on it, that had probably been a good thing, for it brought Chris's issues out into the open and forced him to deal with his problems rather than subjugate them behind copious amounts of alcohol.

"Taking to the therapist helped," Chris's voice broke into his recollections, "But it didn't really solve anything. It was only when Dad told me about the other me that it all started to fall into place."

Wyatt sighed. So many things that he hadn't understood were finally starting to make sense at long last. He'd called his parents from the hospital that night and they'd arrived almost as soon as he'd put the phone down. Luckily, no one at the hospital saw fit to question how they travelled so far in a matter of minutes rather than hours, and it probably wouldn't have mattered too much if they had. The welfare of their patient was the thing that was utmost in their minds at the time, so any oddities with respect to his parents were more or less disregarded.

Apart from the humiliation of having his stomach pumped and the mother of all hangovers, Chris had been fine physically and had assured them that he hadn't been intending to kill himself as they'd all feared. He'd just gone a little overboard with the method he'd chosen to blot out his emotional pain. While Wyatt had returned to college, his parents had taken Chris home and arranged for him to see a psychologist that their Aunt Phoebe had recommended. It wasn't until their first family therapy session a couple of weeks later that it had all come to a head.

It had just been Wyatt and his parents – Chris had given his therapist permission to divulge what he'd told her but hadn't wanted to be present during that initial session. At the time, Wyatt hadn't thought anything of his Mom's sharp gasp of horror on learning that her youngest son felt like 'half a person' and that 'a part of him was missing.' Moreover, his father's reaction, while certainly a little over-the-top, hadn't struck him as anything more than a parent who was desperately concerned about the emotional well-being of his child.

"I need to speak to my son now," Leo had announced, pushing back his chair and rising determinedly to his feet. The therapist had objected, but he'd overridden her protest and whisked a bemused Chris – who had been waiting in an adjoining treatment room - off for a private father-son chat.

Wyatt had orbed his mother home and then reluctantly returned to his classes at her express insistence. Only now did he realise that she had wanted him out the way while they talked to Chris. The next time he visited, just over a week later, there had been a significant turn around in his brother's condition. Although he still looked a little haunted at times, he was clearly on the mend and much more comfortable in his own skin. He'd returned to college the following semester and things had pretty much remained on an even keel ever since.

Wyatt wasn't stupid of course, he'd known that whatever his Dad had told his brother had been the reason for his recovery, and he also knew that they'd deliberately chosen not to tell him about it. He'd been so relieved that Chris was going to be okay that he'd pushed all that to the back of his mind and tried not to think about it too much. It had irked him every once in a while, but he hadn't really lost any sleep over it. Now he wished he'd pushed harder for the truth.

"That still doesn't explain why you lied to me," he said.

Chris blew his breath out from between his lips in frustration. "It took me a long time to come to terms with it, Wyatt," he said wearily, "And, at the time, I was so close to the edge that I couldn't deal with anything but my own feelings. Yours would have been too much to handle."

"Fine. I get that. I do. But god damn it Chris, it's been four years now!"

"I know. I just… I suppose I was trying to protect you. I knew you'd have questions – but they were questions that I didn't have the answer to. At least not back then. And I didn't want you to end up like me - completely messed up because you didn't have a proper reason for the way you were feeling."

"The last few years have been really hard on me. I had an explanation, but it didn't take away the horrible feeling of incompleteness inside. I've been in stasis for four years, waiting for this day to arrive. It's only now that I can finally move on with my life and discover who I really am. I know this is a huge deal and that it changes everything. And I know that you must be feeling… well, betrayed I guess, but I made what I thought was the right decision at the time. I didn't want things to be weird between us…"

Wyatt let out a short humourless laugh at that. "And you don't think that they are now?"

"Maybe, but we can work through that, whereas I'm not sure we could have done back then. I have the answers you need now, Wyatt. The answers that we both need. I'm sorry if I made the wrong decision, but I can't take it back. The only way is forward – whether you're with me or against me on that is up to you."

Wyatt stared at his brother in silence for a long moment and then abruptly got to his feet and strode from the room.

"Wyatt…" Sarah half-rose from her seat to go after him, but Leo beat her to it.

"I think you'd better let me talk to him," he said and Sarah nodded, sitting back down again.

Chris looked over at his friend after his father had left the room. "So I guess you hate me too now, huh?" he said a little sadly.

"Of course not," Sarah was quick to reassure him. "And Wyatt doesn't hate you, Chris. He's just a bit shell-shocked that's all. This is a lot to take in, you know."

"I know."

"I suppose it's a good thing in the end though," Sarah continued thoughtfully, "For me at least anyway. I mean, I wouldn't have met you or Wyatt otherwise, would I? I mean I only know you because of Aunt Stacey, right?"

Chris smiled. "Actually we were friends in the first future," he told her.

Sarah's eyes widened. "We were?"

"Yep – guess it must be fate, huh?"

Sarah thought about it for a moment and then smiled. "I guess it must be," she agreed. "And don't worry, okay? Wyatt'll come round, I know he will. And if he doesn't, I'll just threaten to dump him until he does."

Chris laughed. "No, you won't," he said knowingly.

"No, probably not," Sarah agreed with a rosy blush, "But it's the thought that counts, isn't it?"

"If you say so."

Sarah poked her tongue out at him, then rose to her feet and bent to hug him. "You should have told me," she said as he returned her friendly embrace. "I've been so worried about you. You've seemed so broken at times and I didn't know what to do to help you."

"I know and I'm sorry. I just couldn't put you in the position of having to keep something like that from Wyatt."

"That's B.S., Chris," she chided him. "Wyatt and I weren't dating four years ago, you could have told me anything back then."

Chris wrinkled his nose at her. "All right so I guess I could have done. I just… I suppose it was something I needed to deal with on my own. Can you understand that?"

"Well, I'm buying it a whole lot more than the earlier 'I'm such a martyr' crap," Sarah told him acerbically.

Chris looked over at Stacey. "I think I've changed my mind," he remarked blithely. "Perhaps I shouldn't have asked you to make sure the other me and Sarah got to be friends after all."

Stacey laughed even as Sarah's expression softened. "You asked her to do that?" she said, a little catch in her voice.

"Yeah, I asked her to do that," Chris admitted, albeit with some degree of reluctance.

"That's just so sweet!" Sarah smiled at him, her eyes bright with emotion. "I think I'm liking the other you already."

"Glad to hear it," he replied as she impulsively hugged him again. "Even if I was a little freaked out this morning," he added a moment later.

"What?" Sarah looked at him, confused. "Freaked about what?"

Chris's face split into a broad smile, his green eyes dancing with silent laughter, and it suddenly dawned on her what he meant. She giggled. "Got a shock when I came into your room in just my PJs, huh?" she teased.

"Do you mind?" Chris said, half to her and half to himself.

Sarah giggled at the inner battle of wills going on inside of him, and then suddenly realised what she'd just said. Out loud – with his mother – _Wyatt's_ mother – in the room. Her eyes widened in horror. Oh my God! She wanted the ground to open up and swallow her whole. Mortified, she shot a wary glance at Piper, her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. Chris started to laugh and she shot him a murderous look that only made him laugh even harder.

"Chris!"

Still chuckling, Chris got to his feet. "I think I should go and…" He gestured in the general direction of his brother's bedroom before turning to leave.

Sarah stared, open-mouthed, after his retreating form. How dare he abandon her?

"Gotta say the split personality thing takes some getting your head around..."

Paige's voice cut through her reverie then and she realised that she was the only one who was conscious of her blunder. They were all much too wrapped up in the return of the first Chris to be bothered about the details of her sex life. Paige was right too – talking to Chris had been a little strange. Some of his responses had come from the Chris she already knew, but others had not. The comment about Aunt Stacey making sure she and him got to be friends in the new future was a case in point. She was touched that their friendship meant that much to him actually.

She couldn't imagine her life without him in it either though. While Wyatt did crazy things to her insides and made her heart flutter like a humming-bird's wings, Chris was her rock, her confidant. Other boyfriends had not understood their relationship, had been jealous of their close connection. They always thought that there must be something romantic between her and Chris for them to be so close. But, the truth was, they were best friends, who just happened to be of the opposite sex - pure and simple.

She was aware that Chris was an attractive guy of course – good-looking, smart, and funny – but somehow he had never affected her in that way. He was just Chris. Her best friend from Kindergarten. The boy who had encouraged her to climb to the top branch of the tallest tree, but not the one who had given her her first proper kiss.

Wyatt was her friend too, but not in the same way. Fortunately, he was secure enough in what they had together not to feel threatened by her friendship with Chris. He trusted his brother implicitly and even though he might make comments about it occasionally – like this morning, for instance – he was never really all that serious about them. It was all very tongue-in-cheek, although she had the sneaking suspicion that there was some element of him staking his claim in it too - a happenstance that she found rather flattering, she had to admit.

I mean, what girl wouldn't? This was Wyatt Halliwell for god's sake. He gave off an aura of power and charisma that was like a moth to a flame to every woman within a hundred-kilometre vicinity. And he was hers. It didn't matter how many women batted their eyelashes at him during the day, she was the one who went home with him at night.

Even though it was what she'd always wanted, she'd been wary when he'd first asked her out. She hadn't wanted to be another of his transient paramours; she'd wanted so much more. She'd turned him down several times before she'd eventually agreed to date him. Strangely enough, it was Chris who had finally persuaded her to say yes.

"He wouldn't have asked you if he wasn't serious, Sarah," he told her. "He knows I'd kick his butt if he did anything to hurt you."

Which she knew was true, and it also reminded her that Wyatt would never jeopardise his relationship with his brother for a brief fling. He had to really like her to even risk it. She realised now that he hadn't been as immune to her charms as she'd always believed. He just hadn't been ready for a serious relationship. He'd kept her at arm's length, because Chris would have been caught up in the crossfire otherwise and he loved his sibling too much to do that to him.

"When did you know?" she remembered asking Wyatt the night before.

"After Chris' breakdown," he'd told her. "You'd been away to college so you'd grown-up, matured. But it was more the way you were with him to be honest - tough but gentle at the same time. I figured that's the kind of woman I want in my life."

"So why did you wait another three years before you asked me out?" she'd enquired.

Wyatt had looked down into her eyes before answering her question and the intensity in his gaze had sent shivers down her spine. "You know why," he'd told her gruffly.

And as he'd leaned down to kiss her, she had. She wasn't just the kind of women he wanted in his life, she was the kind of woman he wanted for the rest of his life and he hadn't been ready for that kind of commitment back then. She knew his intent now though, but the time wasn't right yet. It was fast approaching however and she couldn't wait for the day to eventually arrive. All they needed now was for Chris to find someone equally special. He deserved that more than anyone else she knew. He really did.

**OOOOOO**

Chris walked slowly down the corridor to Wyatt's room, his mind in turmoil. His other self was no longer some far-off presence. He was now very much a part of him. Memories that were not his own kept filtering into his consciousness and he could feel his counterpart's equal confusion over the same thing. They were becoming one, merging into each other. It was crazy, but, as his other self had told Wyatt, it felt utterly right too. He felt whole for the first time in years.

He was grateful that the transition had happened when it did. He'd not known how to deal with Wyatt's angry resentment. He'd been half expecting him to start telekinetically strangling him or something. His brother's accusation: "What did he think I was going to do? Turn on him?" hadn't been too wide of the mark really. Spurred into action, his other self had unceremoniously shunted him off to one side and taken over, dealing with his brother with a blunt directness that astonished him. He had to keep reminding himself that Wyatt was good now. That disagreeing with him would not be met with violent resistance as it had been in the past.

He'd been shocked to learn of his other self's struggles with his sense of identity though. He could feel that pain in him even know, but he also felt a burgeoning sense of hope too. This was finally who he was meant to be and there was an element of freedom in that. He could live his life now, whichever way he saw fit. The future was his to grab hold of and do with it what he will.

"It's not who you are, Wyatt," he heard his father say as he drew up outside the bedroom door. He paused, needing to know the state of play before he went in.

"The potential's there though, isn't it?" Wyatt replied, his tone self-recriminating.

"The potential for evil is there in all of us, son…"

"But not everyone succumbs to it, do they?"

"No, they don't and neither did you, not really."

"How do you figure that?"

"We don't know what Alcathan did to the other you as a child because Chris stopped it from happening. But he did do something, Wyatt, something that made you… I mean him, vulnerable. He still fought back despite all that though. He didn't have to lend Chris Excalibur, you know. In fact, it was a big mistake for him to do so if you think about it."

"I don't know how Chris can bear to look at me after everything I did," Wyatt said morosely.

"Because he loves you," his father told him. "He always did. Why do you think he risked everything to come here?"

"That was just to save the world from the hell I'd turned it into wasn't it?"

"No Wyatt, that was for you. I have my other self's memories. I know the way it was. If all Chris wanted was to save the world, then he could have done that without travelling to the past."

"I don't understand."

"You shouldn't underestimate your brother's power, Wyatt. I know the Chris you know is rather apathetic about who he is, but that doesn't mean he's weak. He may not have the power to destroy you, but he does have the power to neutralise you. He knew to take away your power would be to take away a part of who you are though, and I don't think he could bring himself to do that. He wanted more for you. He wanted the brother he knew growing up back. That's the real reason he came back to the past, the rest of it was just icing on the cake."

Wyatt sighed, but didn't otherwise respond. Sensing that he was starting to get through, Leo ploughed on. "Look, son, I know you're upset and angry with Chris right now, but, if he made the wrong decision, then he made it for the right reasons. Are you really going to let this come between you? Is your pride worth that much?"

"It won't ever be the same," Wyatt said resentfully.

"No, it won't," his father agreed, "But that doesn't mean it's a bad thing. I can understand how you feel – I struggled with it myself. I love both versions of my son and for a long time I viewed them as separate people. I couldn't see how merging them into one person would be a good thing. I felt that it would diminish each of them somehow. It was only as your brother grew up that my opinion changed on that. They're not really separate, you know. They're essentially the same person at their core. Merging them together is only going to enhance who they are in the end."

"How do you mean?"

"Well, as I said, our Chris is not one for taking on the responsibility of his magical heritage. He's perfectly content to sit back and let you shoulder most of it. Because of everything he's been through, I've let that slide up until now, but I'm not prepared to do that anymore."

"So you're going to kick his ass into touch, huh?" Wyatt asked with obvious amusement.

Leo laughed. "I don't think that'll be necessary," he replied. "The first Chris is not like that at all. If anything, he's a little too driven and focused. He could benefit from your brother's more laidback attitude to be honest. He needs to relax and learn to enjoy life a little. That's what I meant about this enhancing who they are. It's going to make both of them so much happier in themselves. And, in the end, that's the only thing that matters, surely?"

"So the first Chris felt like our Chris then? Incomplete somehow?"

"Not so much. Mainly because he lived another life, one where there was always the potential for him to exist individually without his other self. Your brother has never had that. He was born after Chris returned to the future. This was always his fate so destiny chose to prepare him for it."

"By pushing him into a nervous breakdown? Isn't that a little over the top?"

"That was just an unfortunate side-affect. If he'd grown-up happy and fulfilled, this would be a usurping of who he is and he could have taken it badly. The first Chris knows full well that this is a better life for him, so he can accept it in a way that the second Chris might not have been able to. It was hard to see him suffer, I know, but, in the end, it was the right thing."

Wyatt nodded. "I guess," he agreed. "I suppose I should stop acting like a child about it then, huh?"

"It might be an idea;" Leo said solemnly, "Chris doesn't deserve your resentment, Wyatt. He sacrificed everything for you. You owe him more than this."

Chris finally decided to step in then. "No, he doesn't," he said as he pushed open the door and entered the room. "The only thing he owes me is just to be my brother. I don't want anything more than that. I never did."

Wyatt turned his gaze to meet his brother's and a flicker of a long-forgotten memory suddenly sparked in his brain. Others followed closely on its heels, the most vivid being of standing in a dark cave and orbing Excalibur towards a struggling Chris, who was lying on the rough ground trapped under a demon's foot. The demon's face was horribly scarred and his dark eyes gleamed with malevolent cruelness. Evilness radiated from him in waves so intense that Wyatt felt sickened by even the memory of them. His eyes opened wide at the unexpected recollection and he couldn't stop the chilled shudder that ran through him in response.

"What?" Chris asked.

"I remember," Wyatt told him in a hushed tone, and then suddenly grinned, showing his teeth. "I used to follow you around like a faithful puppy," he recalled.

Chris rolled his eyes long-sufferingly. "Don't remind me," he said. "Not one of your finer moments, I assure you."

Wyatt laughed, glad that he had discovered some sort of connection with the stranger who had morphed with his brother. "That must have been weird," he remarked sagely.

"I would say that's the understatement of the year," Chris replied drolly.

Wyatt nodded and then looked down at his feet. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For everything." Wyatt lifted his gaze to his again. "For all the things I don't know I should be sorry for."

Chris shrugged. "It's in the past."

"Not for you," Wyatt contradicted.

Chris thought about lying, but knew that they'd never get past this if they weren't completely honest with each other. "No, not yet," he admitted, "But it will be – and I don't hold you responsible for any of that. It's not who you are now."

"Thanks to you."

Chris smiled, a little embarrassed. "Yeah, I'm a regular hero," he quipped dryly, "But I'd really rather not be if it's all the same to you. I just want to be me, you know?"

Wyatt nodded in understanding. "We have a lot of talking to do."

"Yes," Chris agreed solemnly. "We do."

"But not today," Wyatt continued in a lighter tone. "I think there are several people who have been waiting a very long time to see you again, and I don't think we should spoil their party."

Chris thought about the fuss his Aunts were almost certain to make of him and groaned inwardly. "Oh no, please, I really don't mind," he joked.

To his surprise, his brother threw back his head and laughed openly at his quip, while his father had the decorum to chuckle a little more discreetly.

Wyatt looked over at Leo and grinned. "I guess he's not so different after all," he remarked.

"I told you so."

Wyatt nodded and then something occurred to him. "Is Sarah okay?" he asked.

"Sarah?" Chris looked at him blankly.

"This affects her too," his brother pointed out.

Chris nodded. "Yeah, I know. She seems okay with it."

"Good," Wyatt said, "So, umm… did you know her… before?"

"Yes."

"And me? I mean, did I know her too?"

Chris's lips curled up into an amused smile. "Not quite so intimately," he replied.

"Sounds like that was a good thing."

Chris's expression darkened for a moment. "Yeah," he agreed, "But that was then, and this is now. And, umm… you do love her, right?"

"Didn't we already have this conversation about six months ago?" Wyatt asked airily.

"Not all of me was listening," his brother replied.

Wyatt regarded him steadily for a moment and then answered the question. "Yes, I love her," he said. "I think… I think she's the one actually," he admitted self-consciously.

Chris's mouth dropped open. "Whoa!" was the only reaction he could muster.

Wyatt frowned. "You could be a little more encouraging," he complained.

"Yes, but I mean… whoa!" Chris shook his head to clear it. "Does she know?"

"Sort of," was his brother's unhelpful reply.

"What does that mean?"

"We talked," Wyatt explained. "Last night. I think she understands where we're headed."

"And she's not running for the hills?" Chris couldn't help asking.

"No, she'd only do that if she was going out with you," Wyatt shot back impudently.

Chris grinned, amazed that he was actually pleased by this turn of events. "I don't think there's much chance of that. She's not really my type."

"And what is your type?" Wyatt asked. "You've not dated anyone seriously for years. I'm beginning to think you have aspirations to become a monk."

A shadow crossed Chris's face and he looked enquiringly at his father. Leo's expression was pained as he answered the unspoken question. "You've not crossed paths as far as I know," he said. "I'm sorry, son."

Chris nodded, surprisingly okay with this news. He'd always known that he and Bianca wouldn't have met if it hadn't been for Wyatt's defection. His brother was looking curiously at him though and he decided to tell him the truth.

"I had a fiancée in the other future," he explained. "Her name was Bianca."

Wyatt nodded. "So what happened to her?" he asked and Chris suddenly wished he'd kept his mouth shut.

"It's not really relevant right now," he said evasively.

Wyatt wasn't stupid though. He could see the horrible truth in his brother's eyes. "I… I mean the other me killed her, didn't he?" he asked, his voice stricken.

"Not intentionally. It was an accident."

Chris was astonished to find himself defending the other Wyatt's actions. It was a turning point somehow. He wanted to wipe the slate clean. This Wyatt hadn't done those things. This Wyatt was his brother and would never deliberately hurt him. Ever. The other part of him knew that with a certainty that was overwhelming and he had to trust in that faith, even if the concept was completely alien to him right now.

"How can something like that be an accident?" Wyatt demanded. "And even if it was, I could have healed her, couldn't I?"

"No," Leo cut in and his son's anguished gaze swivelled towards his compassionate one. "His healing power had stopped working. He told us."

Chris frowned. "When?" he asked.

"You were at Stacey's," Leo replied. "He didn't say as much, but I got the impression he did try to heal her."

"Why would he do that?" Wyatt asked, confused. "I mean, I… he was evil, right?"

"Not entirely," Leo told him. "Weren't you listening earlier?"

"I kinda switched off a bit towards the end," Wyatt confessed. "It was all too much to take in to be honest."

His father nodded. "In order for Alcathan to have complete control over you, he had to get you to cut all emotional ties with your family. He had to get you to surrender yourself fully – heart and soul. Only he allowed his greed, his hunger for dominion to get in the way of that. He saw Chris as another innocent he could corrupt, so he allowed you to hang onto that bond and, in doing so, he gave you the strength to resist him."

Chris tuned out of the conversation as Leo continued to explain the significance of Alcathan's miscalculation to his brother. He was still trying to make sense of all the conflicting thoughts whirling around inside his head. Wyatt had been right, it would take him some time to let go of the past, but he knew he would get there in the end. His other self's unyielding faith in his brother's goodness was slowly becoming his faith too. It was gradually altering his perceptions and washing away the pain and betrayal of years gone by.

He studied Wyatt carefully, taking note of the turmoil in his blue eyes, the paleness of his face under his tanned skin. His brother was shell-shocked, utterly horrified by what he'd become in the first future. The very idea of being evil, of deliberately hurting people, was clearly incomprehensible to him, and Chris took comfort in that discovery. It would never be the same again – for either of them – but they could carve out a different existence for themselves, become a closer family as a result. It was just going to take a little bit of give and take until they found their feet and became comfortable with each other.

'_You know, I think I might be insulted!' _his other half's indignant thought echoed inside his head then. He chuckled inwardly, knowing instantly to what he was referring.

Their father's rather blunt assessment of their individual character flaws had cut a little close to the bone. I mean, he wasn't _that_ obsessive. He was just… determined. Single-minded. Dedicated to his cause and… Well okay, so maybe he was a tiny bit neurotic, but what the hell was wrong with that?

'… _And it's not like Wyatt is such a wuss that he can't handle things on his own anyway. I mean he's so damn perfect that I'm a spare wheel most of the time.'_

There was a pregnant pause as these two trains of thought collided in an enlightening burst of clarity. A rather wry smile tugged at the corners of Chris's lips as realisation dawned. Wyatt's walk on the dark side had taught him that his brother was flawed just like everyone else. Sure, he was the most powerful witch that had ever lived, but he was also human and therefore susceptible to temptation and self-doubt. It might not seem like Wyatt needed his brother's support, but he did. Without it, he was less grounded, not so in control. Chris would never be a spare wheel.

On the other hand, he realised that he didn't have to carry the weight of the entire world on his shoulders anymore either. He had a brother now – a brother who would stand by his side rather than directly opposite him. A brother who would willingly take on his share of the burden, leaving Chris the time and the freedom to live his life as well as fight the good fight.

A light tap on the door distracted him from his thoughts then and he turned to see his Mom standing in the doorway, a hopeful expression on her face. "Is everything okay in here?" she asked tentatively, her concerned brown eyes flickering between her husband and two grown-up sons.

"Sure Mom, everything's fine," Wyatt answered in an easy tone and Chris saw Piper's shoulders relax in response.

"I'm sorry I was such a jerk," he added.

"Oh honey…" Piper's voice was warm, sympathetic. "This was always going to be difficult for you to comprehend. I think you're entitled to freak out a bit. And I'm sorry that we didn't tell you sooner. It's just…" She shrugged. "It was hard to know the right thing to do. There were arguments for _and_ against telling you."

"And here's me thinking you had all the answers," Wyatt teased, prompting his mother to let out a bubble of soft laughter.

"I wish," she said, "Half the time I make it up as I go along – especially the 'Mom' thing."

"Oh, you're not so bad at the Mom thing," Wyatt assured her, "What do you reckon, bro?"

Chris pursed his lips as though he was thinking about it. "She could use a little work," he joked, "But, overall, I reckon she cuts the mustard in the 'Mom' department, yeah."

Piper rolled her eyes, taking the backhanded compliment in the spirit it was intended. She'd felt Chris's relieved tears against her neck when he'd greeted her at the door earlier. She knew how much he loved her - Wyatt too. She looked proudly at the two young men in front of her. Her boys. All grown-up and independent, but still her babies when it came down to it.

She impulsively stood on her tiptoes, reached out and hooked a gentle hand around the back of their necks, drawing them down towards her in turn and kissing them warmly. They both wrinkled their noses at this overt display of motherly affection, but they allowed it nevertheless. She looked over at Leo when she stepped back and noticed he was smiling at her, his blue-green eyes soft with love. She held out her hand towards him and drew him close, the resulting kiss long and lingering much to their sons' vocal disgust.

She smiled up into Leo's eyes as their lips parted. He'd been so right this morning. After twenty-three years of waiting, their family _was _finally complete…

**OOOOOO**

Hours later, Chris sat alone on the steps leading down to the Manor garden, his knees hugged to his chest and his chin resting atop of them. He drew in a deep breath and absorbed the familiar scent of honeysuckle and jasmine that he remembered vividly from his childhood years – both times around.

The day had been overwhelming in more ways than one. There were the changes within himself to come to terms with, not to mention learning to relate to his brother again… And his cousins too. His many cousins - rather more than he used to have in fact. When he mentioned this anomaly to his Dad, Leo had laughed.

"Yeah, it took me by surprise too," he said, reminding his son that he still had his other self's memories. "I guess you changed more than just your immediate family's lives in the end. Bringing up you boys wasn't quite so eventful this time around, so I guess your Aunts had more time in their lives for… uhh, other pursuits."

"Eew!" Chris remarked with a wrinkle of his nose.

Leo smiled and then continued on a more serious note. "Whatever Alcathan did to Wyatt must have unbalanced him more than we thought. Sure, the two of you got yourselves into scrapes, but your brother wasn't quite so irresponsible and reckless as he had been in the first future. Consequently, he didn't need as close supervision. I think the first Phoebe and Paige sacrificed a lot of their lives to help raise him."

"Did you and Mom ever think about…?" Chris started ask before he could stop himself. A cloud passed across his Dad's face and he broke off without finishing the question.

"Yes," Leo said eventually, "But it didn't happen. Before Wyatt, we thought we'd never be able to have our own biological children. He was a miracle and you… well, you were too. Both of you were destined to be. It seems another child wasn't."

"I'm sorry," Chris said and was surprised by his father's low chuckle.

"For what?" he asked. "Yes, another baby would have been great, but just because we don't have that doesn't mean our lives are any less complete. We're grateful for what we do have – a happy marriage and two loving sons, plus an extended family that is a regular part of our day-to-day lives. That's a whole lot more than some people have and it'd be phenomenally self-centred of us to resent that."

Sitting on the steps now, Chris thought back on his other life. He knew only too well how lucky all of them were despite their chaotic lives. He knew what it was like to feel all alone in the world. He'd experienced it first hand, even if it had been an illusion created by Wyatt's false memory spell. For years, he'd thought his father had abandoned him when they were all each other had left. The pain of that would never completely go away. It may not have been the truth, but it had been real to him. He'd not known it was a trick, not for a long time.

A door slammed shut behind him and he looked up as he heard the approach of familiar footsteps. "I was wondering where you'd gotten to," Leo said as he sat down next to his son. "Are you okay?"

Chris nodded. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking."

"About what?"

He shrugged. "Anything and everything."

"Anything and everything in particular?"

Chris looked down at his knees. "My other Dad. We lost so much time, didn't we?"

Leo sighed. "He was there, Chris. All the time, despite the pain it caused him when you looked at him without seeing him. There was no question of him walking away. You were his son."

Chris bit his bottom lip and nodded. "I know," he said thickly. "It just makes me so angry sometimes."

"Of course it does, but you can't let that regret consume your life. You came through so much, but you're here now and you have your whole life ahead of you."

Chris smiled in spite of himself. "Even if I am a lazy layabout and terminally neurotic?" he jested.

Leo frowned in mild censure. "Eavesdropping is a bad habit, Chris," he admonished, "And I didn't mean it like that anyway."

"I know, but you're right. I have been procrastinating. I just didn't know what to do with myself before."

"And you do now?"

"Not exactly," he admitted, "But I think I'm getting there."

Leo nodded. "Good."

"Do you really think Wyatt and I can get past all this?"

"Absolutely. You and your brother have the same bond your Mom and Aunts have. It may be stretched to the limit sometimes, but nothing can ever break it. I would have thought all of this would have taught you that."

"He turned evil, altered my memories so that you and I…," Chris faltered, unable to say the words. "Killed my fiancée too," he went on, "And yet still I wanted to save him..."

"Because you always believed deep inside that that wasn't really him…"

"And now I know for sure it wasn't," Chris said with conviction.

Leo turned his head and studied his son carefully. He was different somehow, more secure in who he was. He alternated between the two sides of himself with little apparent effort, which Leo found somewhat difficult to comprehend. It would never be like that for him. His other self's memories would always be just that – his other self's memories, something separate from himself.

It was different for Chris however. Leo had spent enough time talking to the second version of his son to understand what this meant for him. It meant filling the blank space inside with the part of himself that had been missing for nearly twenty-three years. It meant he could move on with his life, make choices knowing for sure they were the right ones. It meant clarity of who he was and who he could become.

As for the first Chris, he didn't think it was quite so black and white. He'd lived a whole other lifetime, and this was a huge, if ultimately welcome, adjustment for him. He had so much to come to terms with, so much pain and heartache to put behind him. And yet, he seemed more relaxed and at peace with himself already. That aura of nervous energy that had always surrounded him in the past had faded into nothing more than a normal zest for life. Maybe it was as he'd just said. He'd always believed but now he knew for sure.

Chris turned his head to meet his father's steady gaze, belatedly becoming aware of his intense scrutiny. "What?" he asked.

Leo's answering smile was broad and easily reached his eyes. "Nothing," he said, "Just thinking how proud I am of you and how I know you're going to make a success of whichever path you choose. Just make sure you take the time to enjoy it and be happy too, okay?"

Chris nodded, a small smile quirking at the corner of his lips. "I will," he promised, gazing reflectively out over the garden, squinting slightly against the descending twilight as he did so.

The future stretched like a long, winding road ahead of him, an endless unknown, but it didn't matter that he had no clue as to his ultimate destination. It was a journey, an adventure waiting to happen. With his family's support, he could do anything, be anything. He could seek out Bianca if he chose, but he wasn't so sure he wanted to do that. If the two of them were truly meant to be together, then it would happen anyway. And if they weren't, then maybe there was someone else just as special out there for him, someone he would miss the chance to meet if he forced the situation now…

No, he'd spent way too long trying to bend the future onto a specific path. Now he was content to let fate lead him to wherever he was meant to go. Now that his brother was good, his Mom was alive, and his father and the rest of his family were by his side… He turned back to his Dad and grinned. "Bring it on," he declared.

Leo laughed, hooked an arm across his shoulders and pulled him close. "Welcome home, son," he said as Chris readily returned his hug. When they drew apart, Leo patted him between the shoulder blades to chivvy him along. "Come on. We should go back inside before your Mom..."

The back door slammed open on its hinges and a shaft of electric light fell across father and son illuminating them in a soft yellow glow. "Hey Dad? Chris? Get your asses back in here or there's gonna be trouble!"

"… Sends out a search party," Leo finished wryly as Chris started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Wyatt asked when they joined him in the kitchen doorway.

"Family," Chris replied. "You can't live with them or without them, can you?"

"So they say," Wyatt said as the three of them went back inside the house.

"So boys," Leo said, placing a hand on each of his sons' shoulders. "The future's out there waiting – how about we go and find out what it has in store for us?"

"Well, I'm game if you are," Wyatt said, looking enquiringly at his little brother for confirmation.

Chris thought about it for a moment and then grinned. "I'm game," he decided.

And so, the three of them went through into the lounge to rejoin the rest of the family, for they had a lifetime's worth of memories to make and treasure. Real ones this time though, because the days of lies, misdirection and false memories were finally at an end and the future was whatever they made of it. Because, after all, Chris thought a little while later, as he sat surrounded by the people he loved and who loved him...

There really was no place like home.

_**THE END**_

**OOOOOO**

**_A/N2:_ **Well, that's it, folks - the end of 'False Memories.' Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading and sticking with it throughout all the numerous delays in posting. This story was much tougher to write than Unrequited, so it feels like a greater achievement now that it's finally complete.

Anyway, I'm planning to return to 'A Rift in Time' now that my few months writing hiatus is hopefully over. Plus, I've decided to introduce a bit of variety to keep things interesting. Therefore, if any of you are fans of CSI, I have a few one-shots in mind for that too, so watch out for those.

Until then…

CharmedBec x


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